Valentine's Day In Ba Sing Se
by House of Spades
Summary: Take ATLA. Mix a movie script   Valentine's Day , a pinch of humor, a dash of romance. Combine, and VOILA! Anything can happen on the most romantic day of the year! Kataang, One-sided Maiko, Yukka/Sukka, and much more! Check my profile for all ships!
1. Chapter I

**A/N: Thank you for reading my first ever full length fanfiction! This story is based on the movie _Valentine's Day_ (2010), and contains couplings such as Kataang, Yukka/Sukka, Maiko, Smellershot, and so many more surprise pairings! As my story progresses, I'll keep track of every established shipping on my profile. **

**The original _Valentine's Day_ script © Katherine Fugate.  
_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ © Nickelodeon **

/~*~\

The sun hadn't even risen over the walls of Ba Sing Se, yet the city was already at work. Street vendors stored their usual products are replaced them with fresh cut roses, each petal brushed with drops of dew. Restaurants offered dining deals to any wandering customers. Men sang openly to anyone who would listen. Women sighed as if they had fallen in love for the first time. Everyone, even so early in the morning, was half-baked and love struck. Of course, it wasn't out of the ordinary; that day was Valentine's Day after all.

/~*~\

In an hotel room in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se, a young man rose out of bed. Lord Zuko, age twenty, walked to the other side of the room quietly so as not to wake up his sleeping girlfriend, Mai. He jumped out the window and landed nimbly on the sidewalk below. He swiftly bought a dozen roses from the nearest peddler before climbing back into the room. He walked back over to his bed, kneeled down, and reached underneath to pull out a parcel wrapped in a tan cloth. He smiled as he looked down at the package anxiously. Zuko laid back down on the bed and next to a still sleeping Mai, waiting for her to wake up.

She stirred a few minutes later and opened her eyes, almost surprised to see her boyfriend positioned a few inches away from her face. They both smiled at each other and sat up. Zuko handed her the roses, and she quietly thanked him. Before she could say anything else, he started to speak.

"I know you don't like some huge romantic scene," he said. "No skywriting. No walks through the park. No conquered islands under your name."

She hadn't laughed as he had hoped, mostly due to her stoic nature. Instead, she smiled lightly to show her amusement. Zuko took a deep breath and continued.

"It's just you and me. Together. And frankly, that's all I want. Four years ago, I was crowned Firelord. Even though I don't spend as much time with you as I should, I just can't get you off my mind."

"I'm glad I've plagued your thoughts and all," Mai responded dully, "but I wish you'd actually do something. It's always so boring at the palace."

Zuko couldn't help but smile. "How's this for boring?" he asked as he showed her the parcel and unwrapped it. Inside was a hairpiece crafted from gold into the shape of an elegant fire… made to be worn by the Firelady.

Mai stared at the hairpiece, her face completely stiff.

"Mai, I want you to marry me," He said simply.

Mai was silent for a long time before she looked into Zuko's eyes. When she finally did, sighed and said, "Whatever," before offering a comforting smile.

Zuko smiled back and pulled her into a hug. After he let go, he ran to the window and yelled out to no one in particular, "She said yes!"

/~*~\

An hour later, Zuko was walking down the street with an uncharacteristically large grin on his face. He strutted towards his Uncle Iroh's teashop, the Jade Dragon, ready to start his day as a delivery boy.

Iroh's Tea had become famous for being delectable, and his shop had become a popular destination for couples over the years. Valentine's Day was no exception. Every year, Iroh would offer specials on teas with amorous names and luscious smells to couples that stopped by. He also believed nothing was quite as beautiful as a cup of tea, so every Valentine's Day, he would start a delivery service of boxes of his teas to anyone who wanted to give the perfect gift. Zuko never understood how tea would make a romantic present, and whenever he asked, his uncle would say that, "No gift is greater than the gift of tea!" Zuko never argued and instead visited Ba Sing Se every year to help with deliveries.

Zuko walked into The Jade Dragon and smiled at his uncle. Iroh looked up from behind his desk and studied his nephew's face. He looked at the floor and shook his head. "She said no? I knew it."

"How did you know?" Zuko asked sounding hurt.

"I just mean that you should have sent her a box of my tea!" Iroh continued sadly, on the verge of tears. "Maybe then she would accept your love!"

"Uncle!" Zuko interjected, "I didn't need your fancy tea… She said yes."

Iroh's face quickly lit up. "She did? That's great!"

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Why would she say no, uncle?"

Iroh shook his hand as if trying to brush aside the question. After finding that he could not, he responded, "I don't know why I said that, Zuko. I prepare for the worst because of my post-traitor morality. But – she said yes! This is wonderful news!"

Zuko smiled again. "I'm still trying to process all of this. Mai is actually going to marry me. She's going to become Princess of the Firenation. And the best part about it," Zuko said while staring into space, "is that I can act like a lovelorn lemur all day and not have everyone think I'm crazy. It's Valentine's Day, and people are all about love!"

Iroh smiled widely back at his nephew. "You're right, Zuko," he said as he handed a bag full of tea boxes to the young man. "And the best place to start is with the customers who's tea needs to be delivered!"

/~*~\

On the other side of the echelon, a young man named Sokka walked into a small building that hosted Aunt Wu's new fortune-telling studio. After helping the Avatar end the hundred year-old war four years ago, his job as a fighter was no longer useful. Instead of doing nothing, he found that the best thing he could do was stay in the loop and go around town for the rich woman. Usually, it served two parts; one was a nice profit from the psychic, and the other was information on any suspicious behavior he might come across.

But today, his assignment from Aunt Wu was to scavenge around town and look for lovesick couples.

Sokka grimaced. "You have got to be kidding me."

She nonchalantly shrugged. "That's all I need from you today. And maybe to encourage some customers to stop by and have their palms read."

"Aunt Wu!" Sokka said angrily, "I'm a warrior of the Southern Watertribe. I've battled thousands of men to liberate the entire world. I don't have time for searching for customers who are in love."

Aunt Wu shook her head. "Sokka, the war ended four years ago. No one gives a crap about some old war within these walls. Today," she said with her eyes shining, "all everyone cares about is love!"

"But!" Sokka interjected, but chose not to go on after he received a sharp glare from the old woman.

She continued. "All I want is your basic man on the street finding out what this day means to people. I want bliss, romance, love… and more customers!"

"And you deserve all of that, except that I'm not the right guy for the job. I hate Valentine's day."

Wu laughed. "It's really not that horrible, Sokka."

"Yes, it is!" He said seriously. "It's a single man's worst nightmare. I stop talking to girls from the New Year to the Summer Solstice just to avoid the whole thing. It saves me a lot of cash…" Sokka sat and looked down at his feet. "And heartbreak."

It was a long time ago that he lost Yue, the first girl he had ever fallen in love with. After her untimely death, he became afraid of falling in love again. He seemed able to move on at first when he started dating a young Kyoshi Warrior named Suki, and even went as far as getting engaged two years later. A sick feeling in Sokka's heart made him think that he had betrayed Yue's love, and the young man called off the wedding a week before the ceremonies. Ever since, he was bitter, believing that he should never love again.

Instead of accusing Sokka of not attracting enough female customers for a good chunk of the year, Aunt Wu decided to be sympathetic. "Sokka, you're a professional. I know you don't like today, but every year you pull through. And today, you'll do just fine, I'm sure." She began to walk back into her room. "Who knows!" she said as she turned back around, "maybe today you'll find your Valentine."

/~*~\

On a barge in the middle of the ocean, everyone was still asleep and unaware of the date. The crew staff was floating around the ship, looking for any riders who were awake and wanted some sort of service.

One attendant walked to a bench where she saw a couple sleeping on top of one another. One was a young man, probably in early twenties, with shaggy brown hair and tanned skin. He had two strange swords strapped to his back and bit down on a piece of wheat. Lying on his shoulder was a young woman, around the same age, with black hair and a twisted face. Her pale skin glowed in the moonlight, and everyone who passed couldn't help but think of how much she resembled the Firenation's jailed princess.

The stewardess saw the two and assumed they were a couple, sighing happily before noticing how cold it was. As quietly as she could, she wrapped a blanket around both of them and created a tight cocoon. When she finished, she moved on with her rounds, completely satisfied how cute those two looked snuggled together.

/~*~\

In an apartment in the middle ring of Ba Sing Se, the young Earthbender Toph woke up. She stretched her arms up as she placed her feet on the floor, making everything around her visible. The blind girl had finally turned sixteen half a year ago and was showing signs of maturing. Over the past four years, she had finally grown a full foot taller and her childish body was replaced with a slightly muscular and well filled out one. Her juvenile personality, however, had not changed a bit.

After the war concluded years ago, she returned to Ba Sing Se and employed as an Earthbending teacher for children, hoping to instruct a new generation of warriors. She was demanding, just as she was for Aang, but she was happy to find that her students were fully capable of following her difficult lessons.

She felt someone on the other side of the bed. She stood; holding the covers around her disrobed body, she smirked. "What are you doing up so early?"

"You know I have a trip to make today," the voice said. The person Toph felt walked around the bed and right in front of her. "I'm sorry if I woke you, Toph."

Toph smiled up at her boyfriend. "Don't worry about it, Hahn. I needed to be up anyways."

Hahn leaned down and lightly kissed her before pulling away and walking around the room picking up stray articles of clothing.

Toph didn't know much about the young man. She did know he was twenty-one, hailed from the Northern Watertribe, and was known for being a great warrior. She also knew that he was once engaged, but his fiancé passed away and had been unmarried since. Toph didn't really mind that she didn't know everything; that just added to his mysterious charm.

Toph sighed as she turned in the direction of the gorgeous man. "Don't leave today," she demanded.

"I have to," Hahn said sadly. "My tribe requested that I help with rebuilding after the flood. Today only! I promise I'll be back home first thing tomorrow morning."

"But Hahn," Toph pouted, "it's Valentine's Day!"

"I know," He said as he turned back towards her. He cupped her face in his hands and looked down into her clouded eyes. "Your face was the first thing I wanted to see this morning. But I have an entire Watertribe to rebuild. You can't tell floods to preserve a home." He kissed her on the tip of her nose before turning again to pack his items. "Besides, don't you have that dinner party tonight?"

Toph rolled her sightless eyes. "I don't know. It's technically a party for sour single lameos my friend Suki started throwing ever since her boyfriend left her at the altar."

"He didn't really, did he?" His voice sounded thoroughly shocked.

She shrugged. "Nah, but he dumped her a week before the ceremony. Two years ago today. That's why she forms a circle of friends who hate Valentine's Day, just so she doesn't feel so alone."

Hahn was by Toph again. "You don't really hate Valentine's Day, do you?"

Toph laughed as she grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. "A handsome fellow like you doesn't know what it's like to be single. But for us unhitched gals… Well, Valentine's Day sucks. It's like some cosmic bitch-slap." They both laughed, and she went on. "The Universe keeps slapping you, saying, 'Hey! Remember that Prince Charming I promised would eventually come to sweep you off your feet? Well, that's never gonna happen!'"

Hahn brushed the hair out of her face. "I'm your Prince Charming, aren't I?"

Toph smiled back at him. "Maybe," she said before he planted a kiss on her lips.

Hahn turned again to pack his things. "Is there anything I can send you to make up for not being here?"

Toph thought for a second. "Yeah, actually, you could send me some of Iroh's tea! The Jade Dragon in the upper ring delivers tea all over town today. I'd kill for a box."

"Jade Dragon, got it." Hahn said to himself as he picked up the last of his items. He turned back to Toph and kissed her forehead. "Until tomorrow, my love."

/~*~\

**Thanks again for reading! Leave a comment guessing who the two unknown characters in the third break are. All contestants who guess correctly will win a free box of Uncle Iroh's Tea! (syke!) **

**Until the next chapter, ~HOS**


	2. Chapter II

**AN: I noticed that in my first chapter, I dubbed Iroh's shop "The Jade Dragon," when in the show it was called "The Jasmine Dragon." From now on, I will be referring to the tea shop as the second. My apologies for any confusion. Thank you to everyone who's commented, favorited, and added to story alert! You all are amazing! _Avatar_ and _Valentine's Day (2010)_ does not belong to me. Enjoy chapter two!**

/~*~\

Zuko delivered the first of his packages to Aunt Wu, the fortune-teller who had ordered a dozen boxes to use when reading her customers' tea leaves. Zuko walked into the hut, still beaming from events that had happened earlier that morning. He saw a few couples sitting in the room, waiting happily for their fortunes to be told. Sokka was there as well, talking to one couple about how, "very much in love" they were. They were enthusiastic. Sokka was not.

Aunt Wu walked out from her back room and saw Zuko at the door. "Zuko! What a lovely surprise!" she said as she eyed the bag in his hands. "And it seems you brought my tea!"

"Of course, Aunt Wu," Zuko said as he bowed respectfully. He handed the bag to the psychic and received a bag of coins in exchange. He put the small bag in his pocket before turning back to the woman, saying, "I'm actually here for more than just tea."

Aunt Wu tilted her head. "Yes? What is it you'd like?"

"Mai accepted my proposal, so I'm going to need something-"

Sokka, who had ended his conversation with the customers and joined the one between his friend and his employer, interrupted Zuko. "She said yes?" he asked, almost surprised.

"Yes, she said yes! What's the deal with you guys? She wants to marry me." The fortune-teller and the warrior looked at him as if he had two heads. "I swear!"

Sokka quickly shook off his disbelief and playfully smacked his friend between his shoulder blades. "Congrats, Zuko!" Sokka said happily.

"Thanks, Sokka," Zuko said while ignoring his throbbing back," but I need something special to give her. Something… Unforgettably amazing."

Aunt Wu smiled at the young man. "I think I have the perfect thing for you," she said, almost unable to contain her joy.

"You do?" Zuko asked.

"Yes, it's in my room. I'll be right back." And with that, old woman was gone, leaving Sokka and Zuko alone to talk. Zuko looked Sokka, who looked towards the wall as if he were spacing out… And almost upset.

"So…" Zuko said, trying to make conversation. "Working for a fortune-teller now?"

"Yeah, so?" Sokka said defensively.

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated fortune-tellers."

"I do, but this job gets me plenty of intelligence on a lot of people."

Zuko looked at him questioningly. "Why does she want you gathering intelligence?"

"Wu doesn't know anyone in this town," Sokka explained. "If she's able to know a little bit about someone, then she'd reel 'em in easily."

"So you really don't think she already knows them based on their fortunes?"

"Course not. It's all mumbo-jumbo to me. But," Sokka smiled broadly at his old friend, "it pays the bills."

Zuko smiled, then his innocent smile turned to one that was more mischievous. "You don't like Valentine's Day either I bet."

Sokka looked out the window. "Not a bit," he said gruffly

"Well, I hear there's a party going on here at the studio later tonight." He eyed Sokka and continued, "The whole space was rented out by some sour chick who's boyfriend left her a week before her wedding. Maybe you should go!"

Sokka looked down at his feet. "I know you're talking about Suki," he said softly.

Zuko put his hand on his friend's shoulder, only to have it brushed off. "Sokka," he said, "It's been two years since you've even talked to her. Remember when you two were in love?"

Sokka looked at Zuko, suddenly enraged. "You don't have _any_ idea of what I was going through when we broke up. It's not your place to decide who _I'm_ in love with!"

The whole shop was silent, watching the melodrama that was unfolding before their eyes. The Firebender ignored the crowd and tried to console his old friend. He put his hand on Sokka's shoulder, and this time it wasn't brushed off. "I know you feel like you're betraying your dead girlfriend," he said in a low voice, "But Sokka, you can't betray someone that's already dead. If anything, she'd be the one betraying you if she wanted you to live the rest of your life in misery."

Sokka was silent. He was upset, but he felt that what Zuko was saying was true. Yue was compassionate, and surely she'd want her boyfriend to be happy with someone else after her death. But Sokka wasn't the boy who moved from one girl to another with the snap of his fingers. What he felt for Yue was real and irreplaceable. Before he could even respond, Aunt Wu walked back into the room.

"Here we are," she said happily, unaware of the conversation that had gone on moments before. Zuko pulled his hand back away from Sokka's shoulder to grab the box the psychic was holding. She handed a box to Zuko, who in turn tried to open it to see what was inside. The old woman noticed this and smacked the back of his hand. "No!" she shouted. "Don't open it until it's just the right time."

Zuko looked at her, confused. "The right time?" he questioned.

"Trust me, Zuko," she said. "I had this handpicked and sent over from Mount Makapu. This flower, when presented at the right time, has the ability to bond two people for life."

Zuko's eyes widened. "Really?"

"No, not really," Wu said as she shrugged. "It's rare and only grows inside volcanoes, used as a symbol of undying love. The bonding part was just an exaggeration." She smiled while Sokka stood in the background, smacking himself on the forehead.

Zuko smiled again at the woman. "Thank you, Aunt Wu. This will be perfect, I'm sure." He bowed to the fortune-teller, and then to his friend before turning to leave.

"Wait!" Sokka said behind him, "I'm supposed to interview lovey-dovey couples today. So, being the engaged man that you are, how do _you_ feel about love?"

Zuko turned back to his friend. "Simple," he said while smiling. "Love is the most shocking act left on the planet."

/~*~\

Back in the middle ring of Ba Sing Se, the freedom fighters were all awake and prepared for the day. Pipsqueak and The Duke sat in the kitchen, one eating breakfast and one writing a valentine silently. Neither of them had changed very much over the past four years; Pipsqueak still towered over his friends, and The Duke was still four feet tall, even though he had finally turned twelve. Upstairs, Smellerbee sat up in her bed and looked over to the cot next to hers, where Longshot sat quietly. Even they hadn't changed; She was still the unproclaimed leader, and he was still silent. It seemed that the only thing different within the group was the unfaltering relationship that Longshot and Smellerbee shared.

She reached under her bed and pulled out a brand new bow, a present for her boyfriend to replace the one that had broken a few days before. After dusting it off a bit, she smiled and handed it to the boy.

"Here," Smellerbee said. "I know we decided not to celebrate Valentine's Day anymore…" She looked away sheepishly. "But I lied."

The boy retuned her gesture with a nod before reaching into his pillowcase, pulling out a small box, and handing it to her. She opened it and quietly gasped. Perched on the small pillow inside was a delicate silver locket, embroidered with intricate designs of branches and leafs. She quickly clasped it around her neck and marveled at it.

"It's beautiful," she said, looking back up at him. "Thanks."

He stood and kissed her lightly on her forehead before turning to the stairs and climbing down.

The Duke was sitting at the kitchen table writing symbols inside a big pink valentine. Each stroke was delicate and small to make sure that he didn't make any mistakes and that there was enough room for the entire message. Pipsqueak noticed his friend's attentiveness towards the paper and smiled broadly.

"Hey, lemme see what you wrote!" he said as he tried to yank the paper out of the boy's hands.

"No way!" The Duke squealed. "This is for someone special! Her eyes only!"

Not long after, the small argument turned into a brawl, where Pipsqueak made it his mission to read the valentine and The Duke was prepared to guard it with his life.

Smellerbee heard the ruckus and ran down the stairs. "Hey you two, knock it off!" she yelled as she jumped between the two. "Katara's gonna be here soon, and Spirits know she'll be fuming if you two're fighting!"

Without argument, the fight quietly ceased. The last thing they wanted was to have Katara freaking out over some stupid scrap. After that, everyone was eating; everyone except The Duke.

"What about your breakfast, The Duke?" Pipsqueak asked.

"I'm not hungry," he answered while resting his chin in his hands.

Smellerbee looked at The Duke, thoroughly concerned. "Are you sick?"

"Lovesick," The Duke corrected dreamily.

/~*~\

In another part of the middle ring of Ba Sing Se, a young woman stuck her head out the window of her small hostel room. The woman, Ty Lee, looked out to the sunrise sadly, feeling remorseful because of recent events. Last night she and her fellow Kyoshi Warriors had pushed back a group of Rough Firebenders outside of the city walls. While Ty Lee fought, however, she found that she was falling behind her friends easily. The other girls were worried about her – thinking that she had finally lost her 'oomph.'

"Oomph," Ty Lee said out loud for emphasis.

Truth be told, she hadn't lost her ability to fight - she just had a lot going on in her mind. But because she was so careless with her stances and jabs, she ran the risk of being a threat to the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors… But all she was worried about at that moment was being revoked from the group.

Ty Lee turned from the window and skipped over to her snoozing roommate, who happened to be the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. She shook her lightly, and then spoke. "Suki?"

"Tueylehhh?" Suki mumbled. "Whuhsguihnuhn?"

"I'm just thinking about the other Kyoshi Warriors," Ty Lee said. "Why is everyone so quick to jump down my throat?"

"Huhhhwhuh?" Suki said, still half asleep and not really paying attention to the conversation.

"Well, yeah, I haven't been up to par lately. So what? That doesn't mean the girls have to think about kicking me out of the Kyoshi Warriors."

"Mhmmmm."

"Well, I hope it doesn't have to do with me working for the Firelord four years ago. I've changed, and you know that!"

Suki finally sat up and rubbed her eyes to wake herself up fully. "I know," she mumbled, "and as long as I'm here, I won't let the others kick you out."

Ty Lee grinned and hugged her friend tightly. "Oh, thank you Suki!" she said, overjoyed.

Suki smiled. "Hey, do you remember the party I was going to throw tonight?"

Ty Lee released her friend and laughed lightly, saying, "Right, your 'I Hate Valentine's Day Dinner'! How festive!"

Suki laughed quietly and shook her head. "It's my tradition," she said, almost fully awake now. "A get together to share a mutual distain for the holiday. It's fun."

"It does sound like fun." Ty Lee responded cheerfully. "Who's coming?"

Suki shifted uncomfortably. "Well, none of my friends can make it, even though I made it a point to celebrate this year in the city everyone would be in. So I guess it's just you, me, and the other Kyoshi Warriors."

Ty Lee shook her head. "Last I heard, EVERYONE has plans for tonight," she said as she saw Suki look at the ground, downcast. "But I'll be there!" Ty Lee assured, "Nothing's more fun than a party!"

Suki smiled back at her friend. "Thanks, Ty Lee," she said with gratitude. Ty Lee smiled back, before swiftly cartwheeling out the room, hoping to reach the hallway's bathroom before anyone else. When she was alone, Suki sighed. "It's gonna be a long day," she sadly said to herself.

/~*~\

On the barge in the middle of the ocean, the sun was halfway over the horizon. Most of the passengers were still sleeping, with the exception of the shaggy-haired male chewing on the piece of wheat. Being a warrior, he was trained to be up at the crack of dawn to be prepared for anything. Anything, that is, except waking up to find a stranger sleeping on his shoulder.

A woman roughly his age was sleeping right next to him, laying her head on his shoulder. Her face was serene and her black hair was tied up in a tight bun. The boy never understood why, in a ship so big, the woman had chosen to sleep right on top of him, but he didn't really mind. She wasn't too sore for the eyes.

After the boy had been awake for an hour, the woman woke up. She looked at the man and offered a distorted smile. "I see someone enjoyed last night," she said, her voice sharp as glass.

He shrugged, "It's just a shoulder on a twenty hour boat ride. It's the least I could do."

She looked away, while pouting her lower lip. "If you say so," she said coolly. She looked back at his outfit and noticed it was the uniform worn by Earth Kingdom soldiers. "Are you on active duty?" she asked.

"I am. I've been fighting with the Earth Kingdom Battalion ever since I started living in Ba Sing Se. This war has hurt my friends and me in more ways than one," he said as he stared out over the ocean. "Now, I'm working as hard as I can to repair the world so such a tragedy never happens again."

The woman yawned loudly. "All I asked was if you were in the army. Yeesh," she said, before smiling wickedly. "Are you visiting a loved one in Ba Sing Se?"

He looked back to the woman. "Yeah," the boy said. "It's been four years since I was home."

"How long are you staying?" The woman continued to ask questions, telling herself that the more she knew about him, the easier it would be to twist his emotions.

"I'm only in town for twenty-four hours before returning to the Firenation."

Her crooked smile only became malicious. "How lovely," she said sarcastically, "for the great Earth Kingdom to let you leave your post for one night to go home and see your girlfriend. I'd call that rather benevolent."

The woman rose and walked away, feeling she accomplished her mission. The boy wasn't sure how to respond to such a comment, so as the girl left, he said nothing and stared back over the ocean.

/~*~\

Aang sat in the window of his room in the upper ring. Four years ago, he and Katara admitted their love for each other and both began a serious relationship. As time went on, they were always by each other's side, no matter where their travels took them. But soon, that record would be broken.

Various Airbenders across the globe had come forward after the war ended. Many of them had found their way to the Southern Air Temple for refuge, agreeing to leave behind their past cultures to embrace the lifestyle of the Air Nomad, in hopes of rebuild a lost civilization. In order to do this, Aang also needed to leave Ba Sing Se to lead hundreds of new Airbenders, and he was scheduled to leave in three days.

Katara offered to come along, but Aang found that this journey, unlike challenges he had faced in his past, was meant for him and him alone. Katara understood and opted instead to voyage to the Southern Watertribe to visit family, while at the same time staying close enough to Aang in case he needed her help with something. Her plans were to remain with her people for the four years that Aang would spend rebuilding his.

The fourteen year old sighed. He knew he loved the girl, and he was positive that she loved him back. Four years apart seemed like an eternity.

Aang blushed as he remembered a certain conversation he had with Katara the other day. It wasn't even a general topic, just something that popped up and then vanished almost at the same time. They talked about the fact that they had been dating since the war's end… And still haven't had sex. Granted, they were both young and still had a lot of work to do when the war subsided, but by then most global problems had been solved, and they felt more mature and capable of handling such a large commitment.

Aang jumped off the window and ran to a desk, where her quickly wrote a message on a standard piece of parchment. He rolled it up, scrambled out of the window, and nimbly climbed up a story, leaving the note on Katara's windowpane.

Aang was surprised to see that Katara was already awake. Instead of scurrying back down to his room, he pulled himself through the window. He crumpled the piece of paper and shoved it into his pocket, smiling at the girl the whole time. "Hey," he said cheerfully.

She smiled back at him. "Hey," she said as she walked towards her boyfriend.

His bright expression changed, and his face became stiff. "Katara," he said as he took her hands, "there's something I want to talk you about."

"Me too," she said before she sighed.

They both looked at each other, completely unflustered.

"I think we're ready," Aang said calmly after the short silence.

"Me too," Katara responded in an equally cool voice. "Tonight?"

He nodded. "Yeah," he said, and they leaned into a light kiss. They pulled apart and just smiled, still holding each other's hands.

"I have to go now," Katara said as she pulled her hands back and walked backwards to the door. "I'll see you tonight."

/~*~\

Hahn arrived at the door of a house inside the upper ring of Ba Sing Se. To Toph, he was already on a two-hour boat ride to the Northern Watertribe, not on the other side of town. He smirked. _The blind girl is just too easy to play_, he thought to himself. _Soon enough, she'll be handing over the Bei Fong fortune, and I'll be set for life._

Hahn chuckled cynically to himself before sighing and putting on a straight face. He walked into the house, without bothering to knock or announce his intrusion. He smiled at a young woman, an Earth Kingdom resident named Jin, who stood over a stove.

"Hey," he said before wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Hey," she said back before he passionately kissed her. When they parted, she smiled up at him and said, "Happy Valentine's Day."

Hahn smiled back down at the girl, looking at the necklace tied elegantly around her neck – the ceremonious charm that a man gave a woman as a token of engagement.

He looked back into the eyes of his wife, saying, "Happy Valentine's day, my love."

/~*~\

**OH SNAP! I did not see that coming, and I'm the author! Thanks again for reading, and be sure to comment! Also, I plan on updating again tomorrow, so be on the lookout for Valentine's Day in Ba Sing Se, Chapter III, tomorrow at 5:00 EST! Until then, ~HOS**


	3. Chapter III

**Thanks again to all of my readers! A special shout-out goes to Kimijuni2 and AvaMcKenna! Thank you both for your undying support! _Avatar - The Last Airbender_ and _Valentine's Day © _Someone else. Enjoy!**

/~*~\

Zuko quickly finished all of the morning deliveries and returned to The Jasmine Dragon to help with sales. As Iroh had predicted, many customers were waiting in line to order tea, and almost all of them were couples. The Firebender rang up the next order for a young man and woman and handed them two cups of tea and a bag with two teacakes. "Here you go," he said with a smile. "The teacakes are on the house – a little engagement special." They both thanked him and sat down at a table.

Zuko turned to the door and was both surprised and thrilled to see Sokka and Aang walking into the Jasmine Dragon together. "Uncle!" He called to the back, "Can I take my break now?"

"Of course, nephew!" Iroh said as he ran for the front desk to handle customer orders. "But please hurry," he said, "There are many people here today!"

Zuko nodded as he took of his apron and approached his friends, smiling. "Aang, Sokka," he said while quickly bowing to each, "What are you guys doing here?"

Aang rose from his bow. "I was on my way here when I ran into Sokka. How fortunate! It's been a while since the three of us talked."

"Yeah!" Sokka said as he smiled at both of them, before turning to the Airbender, "Hey Aang," he said, holding back his laughter, "you won't believe what Zuko told me this morning!"

Aang's eyes lit up, "What?" he asked, thoroughly excited.

Sokka smiled widely. "He said, 'Love is the most shocking act left on the planet'," Sokka said with as much mushiness as possible. Zuko began to regret saying this earlier that morning as Sokka and Aang started to laugh.

"Hey!" Zuko said defensively, "It's true!"

"No, no," Aang said, trying to breath, "You're right, very right."

"Yeah, really," said a voice behind them, and they all fell dead silent. "You should seriously consider becoming a guru!"

All three guys turned around to see who had spoken, and their jaws dropped as they saw the girl standing right in front of them. "Toph!" the three practically screamed before Sokka and Aang jumped on top of her and hugged her viciously. Zuko only watched and chuckled… Hugging really wasn't his thing.

"Hey guys!" Toph managed to say, "I can't breathe!" Both boys apologized and took a step back, looking at the girl again. She frowned as she tucked long stands of her hair back into her trademark bun, but she decided against yelling at her friends for messing it up. Her sightless eyes sparkled with joy, simply because she was surrounded by three of her closest friends. She felt like one of the guys again, just as she had when they were traveling the world four years ago. "Man, it's been forever."

"You could have seen me last year," Zuko argued without taking his eyes off of her. Toph had grown at least a foot taller since the last time he saw her, and she was actually starting to look like a girl. Zuko was the only one who couldn't believe she had changed so much, and probably the only person in that circle to think that she looked stunning, grime and all.

Toph shrugged. "I've been really busy," she said, and smiled back at the boys. "But hey, I'm here now, right? And I couldn't have chosen a better time!"

Sokka looked at everyone before turning to the Avatar and the Earthbender, with a giant smile plastered on his face. "Well, did you guys hear? Zuko asked Mai to marry him today!" he said as Aang and Toph looked at Zuko with wide eyes.

"Really?" they both said at the same time.

"Yeah…" Zuko said, accidentally leaving a suspenseful cliffhanger.

Toph's eyes narrowed. "Oh, shit…"

Zuko looked around the circle, disbelievingly. "Does anyone have any confidence in me? She said yes."

The four of them were silent as Aang and Sokka turned to Toph. She felt their stances lean towards her and shrugged. "He's telling the truth," she confirmed simply.

Zuko's mouth hung open. "Sokka!" he yelled. "Did you really just use Toph to make sure I'm not making this whole thing up?"

"Yep!" Sokka said happily, before he, Aang, and Toph erupted into another fit of laughter. Zuko watched quietly before finally laughing along, and all four were wheezing and cackling without a care in the world.

When they finally quieted down, Aang smiled at Zuko, "Congratulations!" he said with a smile. "This is a big day for you."

"Yeah," Toph said, smiling widely, "Well, it did take him four years to work up the courage to finally ask Sulky! If Sparky here weren't overjoyed, there'd definitely be something wrong."

Zuko smiled. "Thanks, guys," he said as he looked at each one of his friends. "This really has been a great day so far. I don't know what else could make it better."

Toph noticed Aang shifting his position, as if he were moving nervously or anxiously. Toph couldn't tell which, but she planned on finding out the reason behind the twitch. "Twinkle-toes!" she practically screamed, making the young Airbender jump. "Isn't there something you want to tell us?"

Aang looked at his friends, blushing a deep red, looking at Sokka the longest. "… I'm not sure I can say it in front of Sokka…"

"Nonsense!" Sokka said happily. "Come on, let it out!"

Aang exhaled before continuing quietly. "Well, Katara and I are planning on doing… something… for the first time tonight."

Everyone was silent; the only noise was the backdrop of customers in the Jasmine Dragon.

Sokka was the first to speak. "**YOU'RE HAVING SEX WITH MY SISTER**?"

Aang trembled before his friend. "I'm not _**HAVING**_ sex with her! We're **_GOING_** to."

Sokka flung himself at Aang, inches away from choking The Avatar before he jumped out of the way. The entire shop was watching, not exactly sure how to respond to such a skirmish. "Stop moving!" Sokka shouted. "I need to **KILL YOU**!"

But Aang kept leaping away, still shaken by nearly being strangled. "I **KNEW** I shouldn't have said it in front of you!"

"Damned straight you shouldn't have, ya little perv!" Sokka continued to fling himself at the boy. The whole time, Toph stood back and laughed at both boys and Zuko stared blankly, shocked that an innocent boy like Aang would even consider engaging in… Zuko shuddered before he could even finish his thoughts.

Before Sokka could completely mangle the boy, Toph stepped in between the two to stop the fight. "Sokka," she said sternly, "Aang's been going out with Katara for four years, and we all know he's not gonna rape her." With this, she turned her head to Aang. "Right?"

"Yeah!" Aang said while feebly standing behind the Earthbender. "And in three days, I'm going away and I won't see Katara again for four years."

"See?" Toph said. "Nothing but harmless fluff. If anything, you should be happy he chose to keep it in his pants for this long."

Sokka raised his hand as if he were about to say something, but quickly realized that his argument had crashed and burned. He grudgingly apologized to his friend, and they stood back in their small circle as if nothing had happened.

"Oh yeah," Toph said loudly, hoping to move on from that conversation, "did I tell you guys that I have a new boyfriend?"

Aang smiled. "Really? How old is this one?"

"Twenty-one," Toph said triumphantly.

Zuko finally spoke for the first time in minutes. "What is it with you and dating older guys?" he asked.

Toph shrugged. "I like my men like I like my earth; rough, buff, and MUCH older than me!" All three laugh while Toph smiles at her epigram.

"So that explains why you dated The Boulder!" Aang said before laughing again.

Toph shook her head. "Those were dark times," she said solemnly as her friends snickered.

"What about when you dated Haru?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah, right!" Toph nearly yelled. "He was a whiny little bitch! Couldn't last a whole day without bellyaching about _something_! Plus, he was _way_ too close to my age!"

"Too close?" Zuko asked. "He's four years older than you!"

"Yeah, I can't believe I stooped so low either!" she said while shrugging. "I'm so glad I broke up with him early on."

"OH!" Sokka yelled through his laughter, "What about when you dated King Bumi?"

Everyone was shrieking except for Toph, whose face had turned bright red. "That didn't count!" she said loudly. "He was supposed to teach me some new Earthbending technique, and instead he threw me a feast. It wasn't even a real date!"

"Well, did you kiss him?" Sokka retorted almost childishly.

"No!" she screamed, although her face told otherwise. "Why would I kiss a stinky old man?"

"I don't know, Toph…" Aang said amusingly, "He does fit your bill!" To this, everyone laughed again, and Toph started to look distressed.

Noticing her suffering, Zuko decided to cut her some slack. "Well, are you going to tell us about your boyfriend or not?" he said, smiling at the little girl.

She smiled at Zuko with gratitude and excitedly told her friends about the boy: She met him two months ago while traveling outside of Ba Sing Se, he was a warrior from the Northern Watertribe (this made Sokka very excited), and how they were both (jokingly) in the throws of love.

"And you've already slept with him?" Aang asked with eyes wide.

Toph only grinned and placed her hands on her hips. "Yep!"

Sokka stared in disbelief. "After praising Aang for waiting four years?"

"Hey!" Toph snapped back, "I said the choice was _fine_, not _mine_!"

Zuko stared at the girl who was four years younger than he, and had lost her virginity at an earlier age. "Well, what's his name?" he said, hoping not to launch another conversation about how many guys she's slept with.

"Hahn," Toph said, and she felt Sokka freeze. Noticing her friend's standstill, she asked, "What's up with you, Meathead?"

"Nothing," he said, but his mind had already put a face to the name. All he could think about was the boy who was arrogant and scheming. He remembered him being arranged to marry Princess Yue and only accepting because, as he put it, "the perks were good." Sokka didn't like him at all, but the boy Toph was telling him about sounded nothing like him. There's no way he could be the same guy… Right? "The name sounded familiar, that's all."

Toph stretched her arms behind her head. "Whatever, Snoozles," she said before turning her attention back to the rest of the group. "Anyways, he's out of town today to help rebuild his home after a huge flood."

"Oh no!" Aang said, completely disappointed. "That's sure to ruin your Valentine's Day!"

Toph shrugged. "No big deal. I could have sailed up with him if I wanted to. Hell, I can still catch an afternoon ferry and see him before dinner. Will I? Nope! I'm perfectly happy with being alone for one whole day."

Aang's face suddenly lit up. "Toph! That's a great idea!"

Toph raised an eyebrow. "Being alone?" she asked before rolling her sightless eyes. "Gee, thanks Aang."

"No, no, no," Aang continued while shaking his head viciously. "You could go up to the North Pole and visit him!"

"You sure?" Toph asked. "That seems kinda clingy, don't you think?"

Zuko shook his head, saying, "It's not clingy, it's spontaneous! I think I speak for every guy out there when I say that spontaneity makes everything exciting."

"I don't know, guys," Sokka said, frowning. "If he wanted you to come, he would have asked you to come along."

Toph sighed as Iroh walked over to the group with a charming smile on his face. "I'm sorry to interrupt your reunion," he said pleasantly, "but I need Zuko to return to work." He looked back over at the line, where people were starting to climb on top of each other to order their tea. "So many people!"

Zuko looked back at his friends.

"I actually have to be on my way," Aang replied. "I'm supposed to talk to King Kuei today… And I have to prepare for tonight." Aang blushed as he bowed respectfully to each friend. "It was great to see you all again. Hopefully we can meet once more before I leave for the Southern Air Temple." With that, he turned and swiftly walking out the door.

Toph stretched her arms above her head, then crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I have an Earthbending Class to get to," she said as she started walking towards the door, waving her hand. "It's been real."

"Wait!" Zuko yelled as he ran up behind her. She slowed as he walked up behind her and bent down so that his mouth was next to her ear. "Take the boat," he whispered. "Valentine's Day is one of those days where you don't think, you just go for it." She heard the smile in his voice. "Trust me. You'll be happy you did."

Toph lightly punched him in the arm. "Remember what I said about you becoming a guru?" she said jokingly, but kept her head turned away to hide the light blush covering her cheeks. "Later, Princess," she said as she walked out of the Jasmine Dragon.

Sokka walked over to Zuko. "What did you just tell her?"

Zuko shrugged. "I just urged her to go visit her boyfriend."

"I really don't think that's a good idea."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so defensive all of the sudden?"

"I'm not," Sokka sighed. "I just remember a Hahn from long ago and based on what I've heard, he might be the same guy. Back then, he was bad news."

Zuko put his arm across Sokka's shoulders. "Let me tell you a secret," he said whimsically. "The girl that you and I just talked to is none other than the great Toph Bei Fong. She can create earthquakes that swallow entire cities. She can manipulate metal. She was The Avatar's teacher back in the day. Toph here's probably the greatest Earthbender in the world, and chances are she can mess up anyone who makes the mistake of pissing her off." He smiled before withdrawing his arm turning to the counter.

"Hey, Zuko?"

"Yeah, Sokka?"

"I actually came here for advice."

Zuko turned to see Sokka looking at the floor to avoiding looking into the Fire Lord's amber eyes. "What's on your mind?"

"I feel like I've abandoned more than one person in my life," Sokka said remorsefully. "I abandoned Yue, but only because I let myself believe I had. You said that she would have wanted me to move on, and you're probably right… But Suki… I left her, and I hurt her more than I thought I would."

Zuko frowned. "You did hurt her, Sokka, even if she won't admit it." He walked closer to his friend. "You need to set things right."

Sokka looked up, his face serious. "That's what I plan to do."

/~*~\

**Comments and feedback are always welcome! ~HOS**


	4. Chapter IV

**Sorry for the long update, but here's Chapter IV! Enjoy! Copyright issues haven't changed in the past two weeks, sadly.**

/~*~\

Katara knocked on the door outside of an apartment in the middle ring. Not long afterwards, the door opened she was greeted by a teenager with messy brown hair. The eighteen-year-old smiled and waved. "Hey there Smellerbee, sorry I'm late."

The young girl pouted before shaking her head and sighing. "It's fine," she said in her normally raspy voice as she ushered the Waterbender into the small kitchen. The room was quaint and practical, just right to provide for four young adults. Katara leaned against the counter and frowned at the mess that remained from breakfast the teenager and her friends had finished at least an hour ago. Katara pretended not to notice the dishes piling up in the sink, hoping that someone would take care of them before the day was over. "The Duke!" Smellerbee yelled upstairs. "Katara's here to take you to school!"

"Okay, I'll be down in a minute!" a squeaky voice yelled from upstairs.

Both girls stood anxiously for a few minutes before Smellerbee spoke up. "Thanks again for agreeing to watching over us."

Katara smiled. "Of course. You guys were just a bunch of kids when the war ended. All you four needed was someone to watch over you, ever since Jet…" she swallowed hard to keep herself from finishing her sentence.

After a short pause, Smellerbee spoke up again. "So why are you leaving for the South Pole next week?"

Katara looked at the petite girl, feeling reminded of herself at the same age. "I promised to look after you, Longshot, Pipsqueak, and The Duke because you were too young to watch yourselves. But now that you're fifteen, I'm sure you can watch everyone just fine while I'm gone."

The young girl nodded, thoroughly understanding the responsibility that was resting on her shoulders. "Katara," she bluntly asked. "You and Aang are in love, right?"

Katara blushed. "Yes, we are," she said in a dreamy voice.

"How do you know you're in love with him?"

Katara looked at the teenager, responding, "I'm happy whenever I'm with him. He's charming, caring, and everything else I could ever ask for in a person. I still blush whenever I'm by him. I smile when I hear his voice. I never think of anyone else making me so happy." She looked out the window, staring at the branches of a tree being blown by the wind. "Not my closest friends, nor my brother. Not even my father."

Smellerbee held a hand over her heart, smiling as she realized that she, too, had the exact same symptoms. Her hand fell, and her gorgeous smile fell as well. "How do you know he loves you?"

Katara shrugged, not looking away from the window. "You usually just know, you know? But Aang always says the same thing to me, so I know he loves me the same way."

The young girl looked down at her feet. Longshot never told her he loved her. He never said a word to anyone, especially since the disappearance of Jet. She could tell that he felt something towards her, but she was never sure how extreme the case was, mostly because their communication never passed simple gestures and occasional gifts.

The Duke suddenly came running down the stairs, jumping in-between Katara and Smellerbee, a goofy smile plastered on his face. "I'm ready to go!" He said excitedly as he grabbed a stack of papers and ran to the door.

Katara laughed and smiled. "I'll see you three later tonight!" she said as she walked out the door with the young boy. Little did she know that back in the apartment, the Waterbender had left a very befuddled Smellerbee to contemplate her current relationship.

Katara and The Duke walked over bridges and across streets, on their way to the boy's school. She smiled as she looked down at the large valentine The Duke hugged near his chest. "Is that for your girlfriend?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"She's not my girlfriend… Yet," the boy responded slyly, and the Waterbender couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, you'll have to tell me how this story ends!" She said, beaming down at the suddenly red boy. "Next stop, Ba Sing Se Grade School."

"Actually, can we stop somewhere first? There's something I need to get…"

/~*~\

"He proposed? That's so exciting!"

Mai groaned as Ty Lee shrieked with excitement. Over the years, both girls hadn't been able to see very much of each other, with one confined in the Fire Nation Palace and the other traveling throughout the Earth Kingdom. But when they both found out that they would be in Ba Sing Se on Valentine's Day, they decided the time was ripe for a reunion, and took advantage of their free schedules to see one another for breakfast.

"Yeah, yeah, it's great and all that," Mai said unenthusiastically. "I'm leaping with joy."

"Well, I would be too, if my boyfriend finally asked for my hand in marriage!"

Mai didn't respond; she just looked away from her friend dismally… The acrobat didn't see her friend's mysterious glare and wonder why she looked upset to be marrying her boyfriend of four years: She only noticed the top of her head. "Hey… Why aren't you wearing the headpiece Zuko gave you?" she asked, tilting her own head to the side.

Mai quickly snapped her head back to the table. "It didn't match my outfit," she said sarcastically.

"No, really, Mai!" Ty Lee said while sticking out her bottom lip. "It's such a pretty headpiece."

"Yeah, it is," the woman said, avoiding her friend's eyes. "And that's the problem. It's too pretty. Really distracting. And you know how everyone gets; they'll see it and the next thing you know, you'll be telling the whole engagement story to complete strangers." She shrugged. "Who really wants that?"

Ty Lee frowned. "Well,_ I_ would," she said bitterly, almost as if to scorn her friend for not being happy over such a great moment. "But I guess that's mostly because we're very different people."

"Or maybe because you haven't had a boy in your shadow for quite some time," Mai replied equally as cold. Her eyes still looked away from the girl who sat across from her.

Both were silent, almost mad at one another, for a few minutes before returning to their teas and cakes. "Oh," Mai said, trying to make small talk. "Did you hear that Azula's escaped from The Boiling Rock?"

Ty Lee nearly choked on her sip of tea. Azula, the wicked Princess of the Fire Nation, had escaped the most secure prison in the entire world. She really shouldn't have been so surprised, but something about the way it was said so nonchalantly sent a chill down her spine.

Even so, she pretended that her wincing was nothing more than the suddenly hot tea burning her tongue. "Really?" Ty Lee asked. "That's fascinating."

Mai shrugged before continuing. "If you really think so. I'm still not her number one fan."

"Me neither," Ty Lee said acridly, and it was her turn to avoid the eyes of her friend. For the longest time, Azula and Ty Lee had a stronger relationship between one-another than either girl had had with Mai. After both Mai and Ty Lee betrayed Azula four years ago, the princess had hated their guts, especially after the war had ended and she was alone in a small prison cell. Ty Lee had visited her about a year ago, only to find that Azula was still mad and their friendship was on the rocks. Long ago, they both decided to run away from the horrible place they once called home. Their last meeting was less than peachy; Azula was her rude and mean, as always… Long story short, Ty Lee didn't plan on seeing her ex-best friend ever again.

Mai stood silently, forcing Ty Lee to look back into her eyes. "I have to go," she said unemotionally. "I have… unattended matters to pay heed to."

Ty Lee stood again, her face still stiff. She wanted to ask where her friend needed to go, but decided that that was not her business. "I have to go too. The other Kyoshi Warriors are probably wondering where I am."

Mai nodded before offering a small, yet genuine, smile. "I hope our travels bring us back together in the near future."

Ty Lee smiled brightly, just as she had before. "I hope so, too," she said before bowing, and both girls walked their separate ways; one girl running from her past, and the other running from her future.

/~*~\

Zuko looked over the counter to see a young boy, barely taller than the table he stood behind, holing up a handful of change. He smiled down at The Duke, the young boy who hadn't grown an inch since the war ended.

"I want to send a box of tea to the prettiest girl in my school," he said while pouring the money onto the counter.

Zuko counted the change. He was missing three dollars, but decided to let it slide. "What flavor were you thinking, Duke?" Zuko asked, smiling at the young boy.

"The Hubei Heart," he recited as he pointed over the counter. He frowned. "And my name's _The_ Duke."

"Right, sorry," Zuko laughed as he wrote down the order. "Where is this being delivered to?"

"Just deliver it to me at Ba Sing Se Grade School sometime before noon. I really need it before then."

"You got it!" Zuko said, and the boy pocketed his receipt as Katara walked back to the desk, smiling.

"I hear someone's engaged!" she said enthusiastically.

Zuko smiled and laughed. "Oh, good, so you know I'm not lying?"

Katara laughed as well. "Of course not! You two were dating for a long time… Aunt Wu said you two were a fair match. By the way she sends you luck for later today, something about a gift…"

_Of course Katara found out through Aunt Wu,_ Zuko thought. _She still visits that psychic every day, just to make sure she won't trip over a stray rock or something tomorrow._ "Well, I think I should wish you luck as well, for tonight." Zuko said out loud. Katara blushed madly.

"How did you…?"

"Aang told Sokka, Toph, and I earlier today."

"… Oh no," she said in a hushed voice. "Did Sokka take it well?"

"He tried to strangle Aang."

"Oh my…"

"Good thing Toph was there, otherwise your boyfriend would be dead."

Katara's face became pale before she felt a tug on her dress. Her face turned back to normal as she looked down at an impatient boy. "I need to get to school _now_!" The Duke said in the calmest tone he could muster; even then it sounded squeaky.

She looked back up at her friend. "I'll see you later, okay?" she said as she walked to the door. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

Zuko waved before turning back to the next customer, who was angry to have been kept waiting. After walking a few paces, The Duke turned to look up at Katara. "What were you and Zuko talking about?" he asked.

Katara blushed lightly. After fumbling for words, she nervously said, "Nothing too important."

/~*~\

Sokka had been standing outside of Suki's door for at least ten minutes. After talking with Zuko, he found out exactly where she was staying (thanks to the RSVP the Fire Lord never sent) and acted on impulse when he decided to pay her a visit. Now, he waited outside her door, waiting until he had the stomach to walk in, or even knock. But something in his gut made him believe that knocking that door would be the worst decision he could make.

"Hey there, cutie!" Sokka heard down the hall. He quickly turned to see Ty Lee, practically leaping closer and closer. She landed inches from him, a wide grin pasted on her face.

Sokka smiled back at Ty Lee, not nearly as creeped out by these gestures as he would have been years before. "Hey Ty Lee," he said. "Have you seen… Suki… anywhere?"

Ty Lee paused for a moment, her smile nearly fading. "Well, she's supposed to be outside the wall with some other Kyoshi Warriors… I'm supposed to be there too, but I just got back from seeing Mai. You could come with me if you wanted! I bet she'd love to see you!"

Sokka suddenly felt very excited. "You really think so?"

"Erm… Maybe. Actually, she'll probably be really mad to see you…"

Sokka's smile faded. "Okay," he said, trying to keep a calm head, "You get your Coolio Kimono, and I'll follow you to the others…"

Ty Lee smiled again. "Sounds like a plan!" she said as she leapt into the room. Sokka stood outside, wondering if it was too late to bolt.

/~*~\

_A woman sat alone in a cramped cell. It was cold, just like any other night in that loathsome prison. She moved her hand up and down slowly, conjuring the blue fire that had helped to keep her alive for years. The sapphire flames enticed her; they gave her the feeling of being powerful, greater than the other scum that plagued the prison. Had she been Firebending outside of that room, she would most certainly be punished, probably harsher than any other prisoner in The Boiling Rock. At that moment, however, she was sure she was the only person nearby._

_Suddenly, footsteps were heard nearby, climbing up a flight of stairs. The woman quickly dropped her hands and the flames disappeared; she was plunged into darkness, unable to see anything. The footsteps came closer and closer until they were outside her door. The door opened, and the foreign figure walked in._

"_Azula, are you here?" the voice said. The woman smirked; she didn't need light to know who had entered._

"_What do you want, traitor?" Azula spat. She felt the figure flinch, and she smiled eerily. "Well? That was a question. Aren't you going to answer?"_

_The figure walked to the princess. "I'm busting you out."_

_Azula laughed. "You? Ha! Like I would expect charity from filth."_

_The figure was feet away from the princess. "Azula, I don't have time for this. Let's get out of here before the guards notice."_

_Azula didn't move. She crossed her arms and looked away, pouting her bottom lip. "I'm not going," she said sharply. "I'll leave on my own when I feel like it."_

"_No one escapes The Boiling Rock!" The figure yelled in a hushed voice. "Your only chance of leaving is with me, right now."_

"_Then I'll rot."_

_The person in front of Azula was mad now, she could feel it. "Azula, do you remember my promise?"  
"Of course," she responded coldly._

"_I can't keep that promise if you don't come with me."_

"_You made that promise to me when we were young. When you loved me." Azula's voice was hushed; hoping the person in front of her didn't hear the last part of her accusation. _

_The figure laughed quietly before closing the distance, kissing her lightly on her forehead. "Azula," the voice said, free of the anger it had seconds before, "I never stopped loving you."_

_Azula stood where she was, doing nothing; she didn't need to. The figure understood her silence and wrapped their arms around her shoulders. Azula stood there, unmoving, but secretly happy. She didn't have to be alone in that prison anymore; her knight in shining armor was here to save her. Everything would be fine._

_But it was not to last. _

_Somewhere nearby, she heard heavy footsteps, no doubt those of a guard. She pushed away from the person, knowing that it was too late for both to escape. But perhaps her love would make it out in time. She turned away, looking at the wall instead of her savior._

"_Time for you to go," Azula said in a hushed voice._

_A hand grabbed her wrist, but she didn't turn around. "I think we both know I'm not leaving without you."_

_The footsteps were coming closer. Azula growled, unsure of what to do. She pulled her wrist away and turned back to the figure. "You really think I still want to leave with YOU? Did you think I was kidding when I said I never wanted to see your ugly face again? Leave!"_

_The figure was still, unsure of what to say. "Azula, I thought you loved me…"_

_She looked coldly in the direction of the voice. "You're easier to fool than the others."_

_The figure stepped backwards to the door. "Fine. If that's the way you feel, so be it." Their entire body had slipped out of the room quickly so that only their face remained in the crack of the door. "But don't expect me to come save you again."_

_The door closed, and Azula was left to herself in the cell. The guard didn't come any closer, so she presumed that her beloved had escaped safely. Silence surrounded her for minutes before she snapped her fingers, allowing the blue flames to slowly erupt from her tips. The only friend she had left was her own fire. Azula was alone._

_Alone._

_Alone._

**"SKWAK."**

The woman jumped as she came back from her thoughts. She quickly looked in the direction of the warble, at a hungry Pelican-gull eyeing the pastry she hadn't touched.

She frowned. "Shoo, ugly bird."

The bird didn't move, just continued to stare at the woman. Azula sighed, looking back over the ocean. The barge was taking much too long; if she still had a navy ship, she would have arrived in Ba Sing Se at least four hours ago. She looked down. Why was she going there in the first place? The chances her old lover would be in that Earth Kingdom city was slim, but at least it was a good start. When she found her beloved again, she would beg forgiveness, and they'd finally be together.

Forgiveness.

She sighed. How was she supposed to be forgiven by the one she loved if she still had dirt on her hands from insulting the Earth Kingdom Solder? He did nothing to her, and yet she was rude and unforgiving.

She looked back at the bird. "I have to apologize to the peasant, don't I?"

The bird said nothing, of course. But Azula already knew the answer… She walked off to find the boy with wheat between his teeth.

/~*~\

"Excuse me, can I speak to the manager?"

Zuko looked up from the paperwork to see a young man with long hair and a chiseled face. He was at least six inches taller than the Firebender, with muscular arms and a wide chest. His bright blue eyes and tanned skin hinted that he was from a Water Tribe, although Zuko was not sure which tribe he was from. "I'm the owner's nephew," he said.

The man thought a bit before responding. "Close enough, I guess. I have two orders to make… but I need your digression. Do you understand?"

Zuko wasn't sure what the man was talking about, but decided it didn't concern him, so he shouldn't care. "Yeah, I understand," he said finally.

The man smiled. "I appreciate that," he said as he reached into his pocket. He handed the man behind the register two slips of paper. "I have two deliveries I want to be made. Here are both… ladies'… addresses."

Zuko nodded, finally understanding what the man meant by "digression". He looked down at the first piece of paper. A woman named Jin in the Upper Ring. He smiled slightly. Was that the same girl from years ago, when he was under the name Li? Maybe he could stop by later and say hello.

He looked at the other sheet and froze.

"Let me see if I'm understanding this correctly," he said slowly. "This first order is for Jin of Ba Sing Se. This is your… Wife?"

The man nodded. "That is correct."

Zuko looked down at the second sheet and swallowed. "And this second order is for… Toph Bei Fong. She is your… girlfriend."

The man in line fidgeted slightly. "Now, look. I thought we had an understanding."

The Firebender took this as a yes. His nostrils flared. "I'm not sure we do, _Hahn._"

The man froze. "How do you know my name?" he asked, very confused at the sudden outburst.

"Does it matter?" Zuko nearly yelled. "I want you out of my shop. _Now!_"

Hahn stood his ground, leaning forward to match the shopkeeper's intimidation. "Now look, _pal_, I don't know what the hell your problem is, but maybe you should be careful when you're picking your fights."

The customers watched both men. Whispers erupted amongst them; they weren't sure whether they should leave the scene or stay and try to stop the fight. Both men stared each other down, nearly snarling.

Iroh ran into the room and pushed both men away. "Zuko," he said to his nephew in a solemn voice. "You must learn to control your anger." He turned to the Water Tribe boy swiftly. "My friend, I do believe that you should leave. We are very sorry for the inconvenience"

Hahn growled. Iroh bowed respectfully, but Hahn did not return the gesture. He simply turned and walked out the Jasmine Dragon. The customers went back to think over their orders, acting as if nothing had happened moments before.

Iroh turned back to Zuko. "How do you explain this outburst, nephew?"

Zuko clenched his fists beneath the counter. "That was Toph's boyfriend," he said through clenched teeth. "And Sokka was right about him… He's nothing but bad news."

/~*~\

**DUHN DUHN DUHN, THE PLOT THICKENS! Hur. As always, comments, subs, and favs are always appreciated and loved. **


	5. Chapter V

**Sorry for a somewhat extended update! School's started (mumblegroanweep)… AND, I'm working on a new project - a Toko centric comic: _Princess Toph!_ Check out my profile to find a link to the deviantart. :D Enjoy the newest installment of VDIBSS!**

/~*~\

At Ba Sing Se Grade School, students and teachers were bustling about. Children put cards, candies, and chocolates in boxes on the desks of their friends, while the teachers ran around their rooms to keep order in the cramped spaces. In The Duke's class, he placed Valentines in everyone's boxes – save one. When he finished passing out his cards, he waltzed over to his best friend, Meng, who was reading by the window. "Happy Valentine's Day, Meng!" he said with a bright smile on his face and a modest card in his hand.

Meng looked up from the book – a dictionary of tealeaf symbols and what they mean - and smiled. Her long frizzy hair was pulled back into a large braid just as Aunt Wu, her mentor, had shown her. Her smile wasn't snaggletoothed anymore, and her rosy cheeks had become more defined and less babyish. She was still just a little girl; none-the-less, she was simply stunning. "Thanks, The Duke!" she said as she took the card from his hand.

They both stood together, talking and laughing lightly, as the entire class zipped around to deliver gifts. A little girl walked passed to The Duke's desk, noticing the giant pink Valentine sitting on his studies. She stood there and looked around for him, hoping to find the boy and ask him to whom he was giving it. She saw The Duke and Meng laughing and chatting, and was able to put two and two together. With a sly grin on her face, the student snatched the card off of his desk and placed it into the frilly box that sat on Meng's desk. She walked away smugly, completely unaware of what she had just done.

/~*~\

On the other side of the school was a large enclosed area. The walls were made completely out of stone and the roof did not exist; rain or shine, students of the academy would Earthbend in that court under the instruction of Toph Bei Fong.

A booming voice can be heard over the whimpering of a large group of children: "Alright, you yellow-bellied slugs, I wanna see you lift your legs up higher!" Toph stomped her feet – sending out tremors among the already terrified children – for emphasis. "I said HIGHER!" They obliged quickly.

"Miss Bei Fong," a boy piped up. "There's a messenger hawk here."

Toph nodded, feeling the vibrations from where the bird landed moments before. "Well? Go see who it's from."

The same boy nodded and walked over to the bird and pulled the parchment out of the vessel. "Ma'am, it's from Avatar Aang-"

"Damn it, Aang!" she yelled, ignoring the students who jumped at her cussing. "You know I can't read! What does it say?"

The boy gulped. "_To Toph_ - _I've finished early with my meeting, and would like to accompany you to the North Pole later this evening to meet your boyfriend. I've already bought two barge tickets for later this afternoon. I'll see you at the docks around three! –Aang_." He looked up. "That's all it says," the boy concluded, handing her the parchment.

Toph smiled, "Thanks, shrimp," she said, and he ran back to where he stood before. The children continued practicing their Bending while their teacher stared into space. She would never admit it out loud, but she was happy that Aang would be coming with her. She knew she wouldn't be able to see a thing up North, so how else would she find Hahn? An escort, and now one of her friends would actually meet him. She smiled lightly before remembering she was in the middle of class. She pulled herself away from her thoughts, looking over her class; she frowned and stomped her feet again. "C'mon, you can lift those legs higher than that!"

/~*~\

"Wait right here," Ty Lee whispered to Sokka as he stood behind a tree. They had just walked outside of the walls of Ba Sing Se, only to be stopped by the group of Kyoshi Warriors scoping out the area. "I'll just make sure Suki's in a good mood."

Sokka nodded. The last thing he wanted was to run into his ex-fiancé during one of her tantrums.

"TY LEE!" a familiar voice yelled. The acrobat turned around, with a terrified look on her face. Sokka just threw a hand to his forehead; Suki was most certainly NOT in a good mood.

"Hey there, Suki!" Sokka heard Ty Lee say nervously. "I was having brunch with Mai… You know how I haven't seen her forever! But then I found someone who really wanted to see you…"

He could practically hear the eyebrow-raise in Suki's voice. "Who?"

"Now, Suki, you have to promise not to get mad…"

"Ty Lee…"

Sokka couldn't stand the ambiguity. He stepped out from behind the wide tree and waved at the Kyoshi Warrior's leader. Her mouth hung open; he wasn't completely sure if she was going to scream or cry. "Hey," he said lightly. "I heard you were in town, so I wanted to say… Hi?"

He could see the smoke rising from her ears. "Ty Lee," she said sharply, and the girl straightened up quickly. "Collect the girls and bring them somewhere else. I need to have a talk with _Sokka_."

Suki spat out the name, but Ty Lee could only smile. She was safe from the raging girl, Sokka believed, mostly because _he_ was in danger of her wrath. "Okay," she said simply, running up to nearby warriors and dragging them a few hundred meters away.

Sokka was alone with Suki, and he was nothing less than terrified. "Suki, I know this looks bad, but I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what?" she replied sharply, her arms crossed and her head turning away from the boy. "Sorry for dumping me, or sorry for never saying the real reason behind it?"

The boy tensed. She was a lot meaner than he remembered. "I'm sorry we're not on good terms," he reasoned. "I was confused while we were going out, and… Well, honestly, I'm still confused now."

Suki's voice was still cold. "Why did you break up with me?"

He hesitated. "I still had feelings for Yue."

"You never stopped loving her. Even when she died." She looked down. "Even when we were supposed to get married."

Sokka looked at the girl, giving a silent plea that she would look at him. "Yeah. That's why I couldn't marry you."

"Maybe if you'd had the dignity to break up with me any other day!" she said, turning to Sokka with teary eyes. "What does every girl want to hear on the most romantic day of the year? Don't know? Didn't think so! She doesn't want her boyfriend to break off a wedding a week before ceremonies, that's for sure!"

Sokka looked down. "Suki, I'm really sorry, okay? I'm not asking for us to tie the knot tomorrow. I just don't want you to hate me anymore."

"Sokka," her voice said pleadingly. It sent chills down his spine to hear her say his name so softly and filled with so much affection for the first time in years. "You never loved me."

"That's not true," he looked up and walked closer towards her as she looked away. "Suki, I did love you – I really did the whole time. I just kept thinking I was betraying Yue because I was throwing myself at you so easily. But I don't think she would have wanted me to be alone for the rest of my life."

They stood inches away from each other. Sokka looked into her eyes, staring into the deep pools of emotion she had hidden from him for years. Her lips lingered close enough for him to feel her breath on his face… He wasn't sure why his heart pounded so quickly against his chest.

He leaned in to close the distance… But Suki closed her eyes and shook her head, backing away from the boy before they could make contact.

"I don't think I can go back to the way we were before after what you did." She turned and walked, stopping after a few paces. "The whole time you were thinking about your dead girlfriend, and I couldn't keep my mind off of you. So this is love, isn't it?"

She walked off, leaving Sokka by himself in the clearing outside of the city. He sighed quietly before saying to himself, "This is why I hate today so much."

/~*~\

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, Spirits! How are you going to tell her?"

Zuko frowned at his friend, the Waterbender. "I don't think I should. I mean, what _am_ I supposed to do when it's none of my business?"

Katara raised an eyebrow, "I don't know, but he's definitely going to hurt her."

Zuko looked down at the bag of teas in his hand; the next set of deliveries from The Jasmine Dragon. While out, he ran into Katara and explained what had happened earlier that day - when he met Toph's boyfriend in the tea shop and found out he was married. He slightly growled at the girl. "Why don't you tell her then?"

"I don't think it's my business either," she shrugged. "I mean, I wasn't there when it happened, so I don't think it would end well if I explained the situation."

Zuko looked back up from his friend. "The funny thing is earlier today, I thought she was strong enough to handle any kind of creep; I never saw this coming."

Katara's eyes showed how upset she was over the matter. "I think you should tell her," she said simply.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I'll tell you what," she said as she took the bag of tea from her friend. "I'll deliver these for you, and you go to the school and tell Toph the truth."

He frowned. "She'll be confused. Earlier today, I told her she should go find him in the North Pole, and now I'm telling her not to?"

Katara shook her head as she started to walk away with the bag of teas. "If you don't tell her to stay, who will? I'll meet up at the Jasmine Dragon later, okay?"

"Okay," Zuko said quietly, and his friend ran off.

Zuko wasn't sure what was next. Toph was his best friend, and if she was upset, no one was happy – that was a fact. But there was something else going on. Perhaps it was his rage towards her boyfriend, but he couldn't help but feel protective of the young girl who could watch over herself. He could feel his own cheeks turning red as he thought about protecting her, always being her knight in shining armor.

_Wait_, he thought. _I'm engaged to Mai!_

Regardless, he shook his head and ran towards the school. He just hoped he wasn't too late to save the day.

/~*~\

"What _are_ you reading?" The Duke asked Meng.

She shrugged. "A book about tealeaf symbols. Aunt Wu wants me to explore the trade of fortune telling as much as possible." She deflated. "But it's so exhausting."

"Well, I think it's really cool!"

The little girl giggled. " Really? Thanks!"

"Okay, everyone," the teacher at the front of the room said loudly. "Has everyone given out their valentines?"

"Yes, Miss Song!" the class chirped.

Miss Song smiled. "Alright, then. It's time to open up the boxes then!"

The class quickly ran to their desks and reached into their respective boxes. They chomped at sweets and read messages quickly, thanking their friends if they stood nearby. Meng reached into her own box and pulled out a large, pink valentine. She opened it and read the message inside, blushing madly as she read the message.

The Duke looked up from the card that Meng gave him to thank her when he saw it; Meng was holding his special Valentine. And reading it! His face became pale.

"Meng!" The Duke yelped as he snatched the card out of her hands. "Where did you get this?"

She looked at him, now beet red. "_You_ sent it to me! The Duke, why didn't you tell me? It's so sweet!"

He stumbled for words, looking around the room. How could that Valentine have made it into her box? It didn't matter; he just had to sort out what happened. "Thanks, Meng," he said sadly as he looked into her jovial eyes. "But I made that Valentine for… someone else."

Meng's smile fell. "Oh," she said simply, hiding the tremor in her voice. She handed him the pink thing passively. "Here's you card back," she said as she sat back down at her desk and pulled out her book.

"Meng, I'm sorry. You're my best friend-"

"I know. It was probably just some stupid prank," she said, looking away from her book and smiling. "Don't worry about it."

The Duke nodded, smiling back forlornly. He placed the card inside of one of his books to keep it from ending up in someone else's box before running out of the room towards the most important class of the day: Earthbending.

He didn't turn around to notice the little girl hiding behind her book. Meng shed a single tear for the boy who did not love her back.

/~*~\

"Aight, maggots." Toph yelled at the children. "Good class today, but you _know_ that means I expect you to be twice as good tomorrow!"

"Yes, Miss Bei Fong!" The class yelled back. A smile tugged at the side of her mouth. Those kids were actually growing on her.

She laughed as she felt a familiar figure walk into the ring. "Ladies and gentlemen!" she yelled to the entire class. "I give you, Fire Lord Zuko!"

He stepped forward, not expecting to be stared at by so many children. "Hey kids," he said, eying the children. "I, erm, need to talk to you, Toph…"

Toph chuckled loudly and clapped her hands together. "Class dismissed!" she yelled, and the students ran out of the room, making sure not to linger too long. The last time they didn't leave quickly enough, she bent them (quite roughly) out. She laughed while watching them scramble. When the Earthbender was alone with Zuko, she smiled. "What's up, Princess?"

"What did I say about that nickname?"

"I think its lovely, ma'am!"

Zuko frowned but continued. "I met Hahn today-"

Toph interrupted him. "Well, me first then, if we're talking about Hahn."

Zuko wasn't sure how he was supposed to tell her about that rat, so he nodded. "Yeah, what about him?" he said coldly.

She smirked up at him. "I took your advice. Aang and I are sailing up to the North Pole at three. I'm gonna surprise him, just like you suggested."

Toph couldn't see his face, but he frowned anyways. "He came into the Jasmine Dragon earlier today to place buy you some tea."

She laughed. "I asked him if he could send some to me. He must have stopped by before he left…" Her tone changed as she reached out her hand. "Well, where's my tea?"

Zuko turned red. "Well, he never actually placed the order." Toph raised an eyebrow, but he ignored her questioning glance. "That's not the point though." He paused, trying to think of how to continue. "People are complex, you know? And there's always more to the story-"

"You think he's too old for me?" Toph responded. "But listen Zuke; I've had experiences with guys my age, and they all suck."

"Toph, that's not it!" He practically yelled as he threw his hands in the air. "Augh! I don't know how to tell you!"

"Mr. Zuko!" a young voice squealed from the other side of the room. He looked over and saw The Duke running towards him. He arrived huffing. "Where's my tea?"

Zuko blanked before remembering his order earlier that day. "Oh man," he said before slapping a hand on his forehead. "I'm sorry, kid. The orders today are really backed up. I'll try to get it to you before the end of the day, alright?"

The boy looked down. "Okay," he said softly.

Toph closed her eyes and sighed, tilting her head towards the boy. "Duke, don't be down. Zuko here's the most trustworthy guy I know. He's had my back as far back as I can remember." She turned her head to her friend, smiling. "He's never let me down, and he sure as hell won't let you down either."

The Duke smiled. "Thanks, Miss Toph," he said while bowing. He turned and walked to the back of the arena, sitting and waiting for the rest of the class to arrive.

Zuko watched, feeling guilty. Toph trusted him, and he couldn't tell the truth about her cheater of boyfriend. He knew at this moment that he couldn't turn back; he had to tell Toph the truth. "Toph, you can't go on that barge."

Toph paused before she smiled slightly. "I think I understand what's going on."

"You do?"

"Yeah…" she said before adding a teasing tone to her voice. "You know, I've been your best friend for all these years; we'd fight rebels, spar, have spitting contests, start insult matches – we're buds, and let's face it; we do stuff that Gloomy would never do in a million years."

Zuko's face was neutral. He wasn't sure where this was going, but felt that the conversation going in the wrong direction. "Sure, we're best friends, but-"

"And now, there's another guy, and he looks REALLY promising."

"No, Toph-"

"There's another guy - and he may be more than just some other guy – and you think that he's just gonna snatch me away and leave you friendless?"

"That's not-"

"But Zuko, you don't have to worry about it! Okay? We'll always be buds, even when I'm off the market."

"Toph, will you please just listen-"

He was interrupted by a piercing scream somewhere amongst the throng of kids who had filed into the room. Toph rolled her sightless eyes and turned back to Zuko. "I have a class to take care of, but we'll talk later, 'kay?" She punched him swiftly, probably hoping to leave a big purple bruise on his arm. "Don't worry, you'll always be my number one!"

And with that, she ran towards the group of kids, hoping to break up whatever fight had started. Zuko stood there, unsure of what to do. He could have just stayed there and waited until she was free again, but he really did have work to do back at the Jasmine Dragon, so he simply left. Toph really was a strong girl – she didn't need him to save herself – the fact that she needed him was just some delusion he made up. Zuko should have been upset with his own decision, but he was strangely overjoyed with the fact he would always be Toph's favorite.


	6. Chapter VI

/~*~\

Azula found boy right where she left him on the barge, sitting quietly and watching the waves rolling over the ocean. His eyes were glazed over, leaving a passive and serene expression on his face.

"Hey," she said, pulling the boy from his thoughts. He looked up, trying to hold a stiff face, but his sad eyes gave away his emotion. She gulped as she held up her right hand; in it was a napkin holding a biscuit. "I brought breakfast."

He nodded. "Thanks," he replied as she sat down next to him. She handed him the napkin and he began to nibble on the sweet bread.

While he ate, she spoke up. "Look, I'm sorry if I insulted you earlier. You were just being polite… I really shouldn't have been so… mean."

The boy looked at her, confused at first, before flashing her a crooked smile. "Don't worry about it," he replied simply. "Just between you and me, I'm not too fond of The Earth Kingdom Battalion either."

Azula's eyes widened. A soldier who didn't respect his post? Does that even exist? "Why not?"

He shrugged. "I'm used to fighting by my own rules; take whatever you can, show no mercy. But the generals just want us hanging around to make sure Firebenders don't start a rebellion. Years of just sitting around gets really boring, you know?"

She turned her head. And replied in a lower voice, "Yeah, I do."

He frowned at her response, but decided it wasn't worth probing into. Instead, he asked her something that had been on his mind all day. "So, why is it you were sleeping on me?"

_Right,_ Azula thought. _I can't tell him that I'm an escaped criminal. _She looked at him for minutes, trying to come up with a good enough lie. She spoke up, hoping she didn't sound like an idiot. "Can you keep a secret?"

His crooked smile appeared again. "Course," he shrugged. "What's up?"

She sighed. "I'm an escaped prisoner from The Boiling Rock. I'm trying to sail to The Earth Kingdom to find… Refugee… I slept on you so other passengers would look at _us_ and see a couple, as compared to looking at _me_ and seeing an escaped convict."

He looked completely lost. "Okay, what's _really_ up?"

Azula's sighed and looked away. Of course he wouldn't believe her. "You remind me of someone special," she lied.

She heard a chuckle as his hand landed on her shoulder. "That's it?" he said affectionately to the girl. "That's not something you need to hide."

"We're not on good terms right now, though," she said, deciding that telling him a bit of the truth couldn't hurt.

She felt herself being turned around by two strong hands, and she was looking back at the boy with the crooked smile. "Don't worry about it," he said. "He'll see you again in Ba Sing Se, and everything'll work out just fine. Trust me."

Azula gave a forced smile, wishing that the solution really was that simple. "Thanks," she said before turning forward again. He turned, too, and they were both silently watching the waves.

"By the way," he said gruffly, "the name's Jet."

She looked at the boy, who gave her another genuine smile. Her forced smile reappeared… She may have been upset about the entire occurrence, but beside it all, she was thrilled that she could finally put a name to that face. "Nice to meet you, Jet…" She took a deep breath. _I just hope I can trust him_… "My name is Azula."

/~*~\

Smellerbee sat on the roof of the apartment complex, looking out over the houses of Ba Sing Se. She thought about what Katara had told her earlier that day… _Is it true then?_ she though to herself. _The only way to know if Longshot loves me is if he says he does?_

She kept trying to think otherwise. His eyes always spoke for him when he did not; whenever she was with him, they shined like sun on the sea. She was sure he loved him, she was almost positive… But Katara's voice kept repeating over and over again in her mind. _He says he does. He says he does…_

Smellerbee tensed and turned around when she heard footsteps approaching. Her shoulders dropped when she saw Longshot standing a few paces behind her. "Hey," she said quietly. He nodded before walking next to her and sitting down.

They sat on that roof, staring across the city as the sun rested at the top of the sky. The boy wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulders and she leaned into him, gently grabbing the bundles of his shirt between her nimble fingers. Smellerbee wished she could be happy to sit so close to the boy, but the voice in her head was more powerful than the beat of her heart… _He doesn't love you unless he says so_.

"Longshot," she finally said out loud. His head turned to her and he raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. "You'd never lie to me or lead me on, right?"

He nodded, his face unchanging.

"And if you loved me, you'd tell me… Right?"

His face didn't change, he only stared into her eyes before he turned away and looked back over the city. Smellerbee's heart dropped. Why did he look away?

She tightened her grip on his shirt, but the boy did not stir. "Katara said that people who are in love let each other know. Longshot," she said, her eyes narrowing, "if you love me, you should just tell me now."

He turned from the horizon to look at her again… His eyes were soft and shimmering, as if he were trying to say something without ever opening his mouth.

Smellerbee released his shirt and stood, refusing to look at him now. "You're upset because Jet died, I get it," she said, her voice raspier than normal. "But you have to move on eventually; everyone else already has." She looked back at him to see his sad eyes. _Why won't he say anything?_ she thought.

The girl was done playing his game, where she would fall into some trap of his and believe that the emotion she felt was _love… _and that in some way the felt was mutual.

She jumped off the roof and into the window she had climbed up earlier. The locket she had received from him earlier that day meant nothing to her - absolutely nothing. She just kept lying to herself as she unclasped the necklace and left it on a side table in the room. All she could do now was wonder how long Longshot could last without uttering a word.

/~*~\

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"Ha! I knew it!"

Zuko sulked at Sokka. The Fire Lord had found the warrior just after leaving the grade school. They walked back to the upper ring together while reviewing what either male had missed, including Sokka's reunion with Suki and Zuko's encounter with Toph's married boyfriend, Hahn. "Yeah, you were right all along," the Firebender responded coldly. "Does that make you feel any better? Does it keep Toph from getting her heart broken?"

The warrior raised his hands innocently. "You know I don't mean it like that…"

Zuko sighed and looked forward again. "Yeah, I know."

Sokka's eyes narrowed. "Well, how're you gonna tell Toph?"

"You know, your sister told me I should, and I told myself I should too. But when I saw her… I just couldn't."

"You mean it was too emotional?"

"No, I mean she kept interrupting me."

"That's no reason to quit, you know."

Zuko scoffed quietly. "I'm not quitting," he responded defensively. "Toph's a strong girl, she can handle that creep on her own. Besides, it wasn't my business anyways."

"If you say so…" Sokka said as he looked down at the box in his friend's arms; earlier that day, he had received it from Aunt Wu to be used as a token of undying love for his fiancé. Instead of going back to the Jasmine Dragon to continue working, Zuko planned on returning to his hut to deliver the package.

Both were silent until they arrived at the lodge. "You wanna wait for me, or are you going to go back to interviewing couples?" Zuko asked with a playful smile.

Sokka only threw his hands in the air comically. "Man, I gave up on that hours ago!"

His friend laughed at the gestures. "Fine, wait right here. I'll only be a minute." And with that, Zuko was through the front door of the hut, on his way to the bedroom. His plan was simple – leave the flower where Mai would find it. He ran up the flight of stairs to the doors of the bedroom.

The room was different, Zuko felt. He didn't spend too long trying to identify the changes; he was only surprised to find that he was not alone. "Mai?" he asked, and she jumped at the sound of his voice. "What are you doing here?"

Mai turned to look into Zuko's eyes. Her expression was stoic as always, although her eyes shimmered, threatening to spill tears at any moment; she knew better than to let such a thing happen. Even so, the Firebender had a talent of understanding the words a pair of eyes could say…

And then, Zuko realized why the room felt so unfamiliar. Drawers were ripped open and stripped of any belongings that were once inside. The closet that once held Mai's clothes was empty. A portmanteau sat beside her on the bed, filled with all of her belongings.

It all finally started to make sense. His voice cracked when he spoke again. "You're leaving me."

She looked away, almost as if she were ashamed. "I'm sorry, Zuko. I can't marry you."

He didn't respond at first, and she refused to further explain herself. Zuko felt his cheeks turn red. "Mai, why pretend you loved me this whole time?"

Mai shook her head. "I did love you, Zuko. But that was back when we were kids. We've both grown since then, and I've moved on."

"Why lead me on? Why didn't you just say no when I asked?"

"I'm from a noble family," she said coolly as she looked to her suitcase. "I was raised to agree with whatever may be demanded… Even if it's not what I want."

He felt his eyes tear up, but didn't as strong a control over his emotions as the woman. "I can't believe I was such an idiot."

She rose and lightly placed her hand on his right cheek, brushing the tears off of his face with her thumb. "You didn't do anything wrong," she said quietly. "You were thinking of the future, and I was stuck in the past. And that's not fair to you…"

Mai took pulled back her hand and turned to the nightstand. She picked up a folded piece of parchment and a shimmering plate of gold: the headpiece The Fire Lord had given her that morning. She placed the trinket in Zuko's hands, followed by the paper. "This is the note you would have received if I hadn't seen you one last time…" Her hand lingered on top of his, unmoving. When he tried to close his fingers around hers, she pulled it back to her side and turned away. The woman grabbed the suitcase off of her bed.

"You should take the back door," Zuko warned. "Sokka's waiting out front."

She nodded in response before walking down the flight of stairs. "Thanks… For everything," she said without turning back.

"Mai," Zuko called after her. She stopped, tuning halfway to hear him. Zuko looked at her fearless profile; her eyes were narrow, her nose was wrinkled, and her jaw was clenched. Was this really the last look he'd ever win from the girl he would lose? "Did you ever consider marrying me? Even for a minute?"

Mai smiled, if only for a second. Her face never turned, but her eyes looked back, watching him through peripheral vision. "Of course, Zuko," she said remorsefully. "But when you ask a girl to marry you, do you want her to only consider it? Or should she just know the answer?"

He didn't respond to her question soon enough; she turned and climbed down the stairs before she could hear an official answer. He heard the back door open quietly and almost felt her lingering in the doorway. Maybe she'd changed her mind in those last few minutes; maybe he was her future, and she only just realized it on her way out the door. But that was not the case. When the door closed, Zuko ran to the back window to see if she was outside; she was. She walked stiffly from through the back yard and away from the house, refusing to look back.

He collapsed onto the bed, now weeping. One could look at him, the great Fire Lord, and see a pathetic fool sobbing, but he couldn't care less at the moment. The girl to whom he had given his heart and soul crushed his spirits and his future.

"Zuko? What happened?" a voice said from the door. Sokka, being as impatient as he was, stood in the doorway of the silent room; he had walked into the house after waiting less than five minutes. Typical Sokka.

"She's leaving me," Zuko said in a raspy voice. "Mai's leaving me, and isn't even thinking twice about it."

Sokka was silent before he walked to the foot of the bed and sat down near his friend. "Hey, It's gonna be alright-"

Zuko suddenly sat up. "So _this_ you believe?" he yelled at the boy who sat next to him. "You've been going through this whole dramatic dialogue all day when I keep saying that Mai wanted to marry me, and now you believe me when I tell you that she's moved on?"

Sokka looked back at his friend; his blue eyes were lined with sadness, as if wanting to say something, but not knowing how.

Zuko understood. "You knew," he said disbelievingly; to this, Sokka nodded solemnly. "Everyone else knew, too, didn't they?"

Sokka placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "It wasn't like some sort of conspiracy where everyone knew and you didn't. We all just had a feeling about it, that's all. An inkling that your relationship… Just wasn't right."

The Firebender was upset now. He stood and looked down at his friend – his own friend, who didn't think twice about keeping him blind to the truth. "An inkling? Sokka, when a friend has an inkling, he lets his friend know, that way, his friend won't be so clueless and heartbroken when that inkling becomes reality. That's what being a friend's all about; it's in the damn handbook!"

Now the warrior was frowning. He stood up, now exactly eye-level with Zuko; his piercing blue eyes shimmered with anger. "You know who else has an inkling, Zuko?" he said rhetorically. "You do! You KNOW Hahn's a jerk, and you KNOW he's going to hurt Toph, and yet you REFUSE to do anything about it! You're lying to yourself when you say she's strong enough to handle that creep, and you know it."

Zuko looked down at his feet… Sokka was right, of course.

He thought of Toph, the girl who rarely needed his help with anything. He thought of her smile; the cruel, sardonic smile that she'd flash whenever she won a fight. He thought of her long, dark hair that Katara would always wind into thick braids, only to have it undone and a mess five minutes following. He thought of her eyes – light green, emotionless, the only pair he found impossible to read… He thought of every aspect of her, not stopping for a second between each transition. Every time, she was happy – an emotion he never wanted her to live without.

He realized something in that moment of silence; Toph needed Zuko more than any amount of words could express.

He sighed before speaking quietly. "I have to tell her, don't I?"

Sokka smiled for the first time since entering the room. "What do you think? It's in the damn handbook."

/~*~\

AN: It took me a while to write this chapter, because I'd always start on the third scene, stop, start crying, then ignore it for days on end. I'm not lying when I say that this is my least favorite scene thus far in VDIBSS - too emotional.  
I think it's fair to warn you that Maiko's dead… See if you can guess who Zuko ends up with.


	7. Chapter VII

**Author's Note:** To any and all readers, I apologize for not updating for… Four months! Holy Diesel, has it really been that long? SORRY! Here is an update. Enjoy!

* * *

"Suki, is that you?"

The young woman froze when she heard her name called out by such a familiar voice. Suki turned and was not surprised to see Katara standing a few stalls away in the Ba Sing Se's marketplace. The two were friends long ago… Long before the Waterbender's brother had unjustly broken her heart. "Katara," she greeted politely. "What are you doing here?"

Katara's smile only widened as she walked closer to the stall her old friend stood in front of. "Aang and I were traveling nearby Ba Sing Se gathering Air Nomad descendents. We stopped in town for a few days to see my brother and some other old friends before we both depart; after this visit, he'll be in the Southern Air Temple for the next four years…" She gave a sad sigh.

Suki nodded slowly, although she had already forgotten half of the useless drabble, everything after _my brother_. "Oh, so you still talk to _Sokka_?" she asked bitterly.

The Waterbender placed her hands on her hips and huffed quietly. "Yes, I do. He's my brother after all, and I don't see him very often nowadays because I'm traveling he's working for Aunt Wu… Only the Spirits know the reason behind that."

"Yeah, they do," Suki responded dismissively. "He's probably working for the psychic to keep in touch with his precious Moon Spirit. It seems like the only person he wants in his life is his dead girlfriend."

Katara fumed. "Suki, how could you say such a thing? He may be an idiot every once in a while, but he's still a good guy; besides, it's not like he _married_ you thinking you were Yue, or something creepy like that. He just had some past emotions he needed to sort out…"

"For four years, Katara?" Suki was yelling at the girl, paying no mind to the confused shopkeeper who had only now noticed the argument. "Why are you defending him, anyways? Him! The guy who hurt _me_!"

"Because… Because…"

"Because he's your brother? You don't have to support every time, you know! He makes bad decisions, and you're not forced to have faith in him every time! Katara-"

"Because I know how he feels, OKAY?"

Suki fell silent as she watched Katara descend to the ground, lace her arms around her legs, and gracefully throw her head into her folded limbs. The Kyoshi Warrior sat down next to her friend down as the young girl began to sob softly.

Noticing Suki's presence, Katara lifted her head and quickly dried her eyes with the back of her hand. "Jet…" she began, with the slightest quiver in her voice. "I once knew a boy named Jet, back during the war. We weren't on good terms for the most part, but it didn't take much for me to fall for him. He was the leader of the Freedom Fighters – a group of kids I watch now and again. Back then, their mission was to eliminate the Fire Nation at whatever cost. But he was done with that; he even came here to Ba Sing Se to start over again. And then, he…" She started crying softly again, but went on. "He died. He died, damn it! Before he even had a chance to turn his life around."

"Katara…" Suki said softly. "Oh, Katara…"

Katara smiled through her tears. "Ever since, I've been watching over those kids, because I'm sure that Jet would have wanted me to. If he were still alive, we'd probably be watching them… Together."

Suki silently gaped. "Katara… Does Aang know that you feel this way about Jet?"

Katara looked back at her friend with sadness in her soul. She slowly shook her head. "No. Telling Aang would certainly kill him. But for the past four years, I've fallen in love with Aang - not because he filled some void Jet left, but because I really, sincerely love him for whom he is."

The teary girl stood suddenly, and Suki rose as well. "Katara…" she wanted to reassure her friend, but she wasn't entirely sure what to say.

"I'll be fine," the Waterbender responded with a smile. "But right now I have to go pick up The Duke from school. I'll see you around town. Okay?"

"Yeah."

"And Suki?"

"Yes, Katara?"

"I think you should reconsider your hostility towards Sokka." Her shimmering eyes were no longer crying, they were simply deep pools of unadulterated compassion. "It really does hurt to lose someone you love."

"Of course," the warrior responded quietly as Katara walked away.

For the first time in a long time, Suki actually started to wonder if there really was a legitimate reason behind why she hated Sokka.

/~*~\

"Good job today, class," Toph yelled to the groaning of the children. "But I think you all know that that means I expect you all to be twice as killer tomorrow!"

"Yes, Sifu Toph!" one lonely voice yelled – that of The Duke.

Every other child groaned quietly, to which Toph responded by sending a light tremor beneath their feet. "Class dismissed," she growled as the students scurried out of the room. She felt the footfalls of one student approaching her desk. "Duke," she affirmed, "What's up, kid?"

His posture shifted and his heartbeat sped up as he raised his right hand. "Here," he said. "I made this for you. For Valentine's Day."

She frowned as she started to recognize that his hand was clamped around something… A piece of paper? "Duke, you know I can't read this."

She felt his heart beat faster, and suspected that he had turned red from embarrassment. "Erm… Right. I forgot."

Toph laughed heartily. "Well, read it to me!"

"Ah," he replied quickly. "It's a picture."

Toph's laughter died down as soon as she heard it. She could have recognized the lie from a mile away… But she didn't want to press him further, considering he was already very embarrassed; how lame _is_ it to read some message to a blind girl? "Really?" she said whimsically. "That's too bad. I bet it's really pretty, much better than anything Sokka could draw."

This won laughter from the boy. "I doubt it."

"Nonsense!" Toph yelled as she slapped the boy on his back. "You're all right. You know that, kid?"

The boy's heart beat faster. "Thank you, Sifu Toph."

"I thought I told you already! When class is out, just call me Toph."

"Yes… Toph."

She laughed again. "Now, get outta here, Duke!" she yelled at the boy. "I've got a boyfriend to visit in an hour, and I still have to pack."

Toph could feel the boy's heart nearly stop all together. "Yes, Sifu Toph," he mumbled. He alone changed the context of the conversation; they were, for that moment, no longer were they allies that were bonded by a war, just a student and his teacher.

Toph just shrugged at his strange attitude as she walked towards the entrance of the arena. "Keep cool, Duke." She yelled as she disappeared through the rocky door.

When The Duke finally left, he crumpled up that precious card and threw away.

/~*~\

"Tell me about the Earth Kingdom," Azula demanded rather sharply.

Jet just chuckled at her assertiveness. "I didn't see much of the actual Earth Kingdom, per se. I saw the world from the treetops."

"You lived in trees? Is that …normal?" she asked slowly. She could never see herself living in something as substandard as a tree when all her life she'd been living in a palace. The fugitive brushed off the thought as soon as it came up; she wasn't a pampered princess anymore; she'd have to learn to live like a peasant now that she was on the run.

Jet laughed in response. "No, regular Earth Kingdom citizens live in _houses_. Up in the trees, there was no one but my Freedom Fighters and me," he smiled. "Damn, that seems like such a long time ago."

She paused; wondering if treading on this ground would offend him again. "When was the last time you saw them?"

"When I died," Jet answered in a low voice.

Azula was simply shocked. "Died?"

"Yeah. Do you know Long Feng?"

Azula's voice grew harsher at the name. "I do. How could I forget such a mutt?"

Jet smiled deviously at her demeanor. "Yeah. Well, he almost killed me once. Delivered one sharp blow and left me for dead under Lake Laogi. At first, it was the Avatar, his friends, Smellerbee and Longshot – two of my Freedom Fighters – who stayed by me. Then Aang and friends left to save the day, and the other two stayed down there with me until they were sure I was a goner…"

He grinned widely as Azula scoffed. "No cliff hangers! Just finish the story!"

"All right then, _your majesty!_" He laughed when she tensed at the nickname. "I was visited by a spirit while my health was failing… It said it would grant me a last chance to live as long as I promised to fight to liberate the entire world. I did, and almost immediately, I began to recover. Three days after my friends had gone, I was fit as a fiddle. The next day I joined the Ba Sing Se Battalion, and the day after that I was on a boat to The Fire Nation. You know." he pointed to the tall structure on the deck. "Back when boats didn't have these doohickies that got people places faster. By the time we finally arrived, the war was already over. So, being the good little soldiers that we are, we just stuck around there for four years and squashed any threat of invasion to the Earth Kingdom."

"That's an interesting story," Azula said.

"Neh," Jet complained. "It would have been a lot more interesting if I actually fought in the war." He eyed her suspiciously. "How about escaping from the Boiling Rock, eh? That sounds like an even more interesting story."

She shrugged. "Not interesting at all. I got lucky, I guess."

Jet shook his head. "I really don't believe it," he said solemnly. "You really are the Fire Nation Princess. All this time, I thought you were cruel and wicked."

"I am."

"Not completely. Not like everyone else said you'd be." He smiled as he mussed her hair. "Who knew a few years in the world's most inescapable prison would really shape you up!"

She scowled at the boy, who responded with a hearty laugh. After at least ten seconds of holding a straight face, she finally laughed along. _What?_ She complained to herself. _It's funny. It really is._

"Are you 'Jet'?" a voice called from beside them.

Both young adults quickly grew silent. Jet turned and noticed a stewardess who held a small note in one hand. "That's me," he confirmed.

She smiled. "Sir, our crew just received a Messenger Falcon with a note attached. It was addressed to you, so the captain didn't open it. The message is closed by General How's seal." She extended her hand towards him, and a rolled up parchment was handed to the boy.

The color drained out of Jet's face as he slowly reached for the note. When it was in his hands, the stewardess watched him warily as he began read, and then at the girl, who looked oddly familiar. Azula's cold eyes stared fiercely into those of the attendant until the female cowered. She bowed and left, not wanting to disturb the couple any longer.

Azula turned back to the boy, who was looking back over the ocean; the piece of paper he had received a minute ago was clenched in his fist. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"General How's cut my vacation time down," he said through clenched teeth. "I only have five hours in Ba Sing Se tonight, then I have to sail back to The Fire Nation for another few years."

Azula wasn't sure what to say, even when he seemed so distraught. She lightly stroked his hair - something her mother used to do to calm her down. "Hey, five hours is plenty of time," she said. "You'll see your friends and be back on this wretched ship in no time. Back to saving the world, right?"

Jet turned back to her and chuckled. "Is this your first time comforting a human being? Because you're really bad at it."

Azula huffed. "Well? At least I tried."

They both laughed again as the sun slowly crept across the sky.

/~*~\

Smellerbee had walked into the Jasmine Dragon to converse with the old man about her current situation, not listen to the grumbling of waiting customers. In her travels, she had only seen Iroh a few times after meeting him on her first trip to Ba Sing Se… They initially started off on the wrong foot when he mistook her for a boy. She may not have known him too well, but she'd heard enough from Katara and others to figure out that he's known for giving good advice.

Annoyed, she bypassed the line of people (much to the annoyance of the already grumpy people), and went straight to the desk where the man stood. People behind her jeered and yelled at her to get to the back of the line. "I'm not buying nothing, so pipe down you nimwits!" Smellerbee yelled behind her.

Iroh smiled from behind the desk. "Is there something I can do for you, my dear?"

Smellerbee slammed her fist against the table. "Yeah, grandpa," she responded in a raspy voice. "I need advice and I need it now."

"You seem very anxious," he smiled. He poured a quick cup of tea and handed it to the petite girl. "Take this," he commanded, "Go sit down while I prepare these nice customers' orders, and I shall be with you in a second."

She nodded as she walked to a table a few yards away. She slowly sipped from the cup while watching Iroh prepare orders for the the line of men and women. By the time Smellerbee had taken her last lukewarm sip of tea, Iroh was walking to the table with two more cups at hand.

"My, Smellerbee," he began as he handed the girl a second cup. He blew steam off the small cup he kept in his own hand. "Please tell me what is on your mind."

She shifted uncomfortably and asked, "Why do we fall in love with all the wrong people?"

The man frowned. "I don't know what you mean, Smellerbee."

"I mean," she sighed, "why do we fall for people who do things we don't like?"

Iroh smiled silently and shook his head; the young girl felt her cheeks grow red with frustration and embarrassment. "What's so funny, old man?"

"Nothing at all," Iroh said sincerely. "You are in love at such a young age?"

She looked away from the table and out the window. "I… don't know."

"That's awful, really," Iroh sipped his tea. "In this time, most young men and women do not have faith in finding true love easily. Apparently, you are no acception."

She growled. "I thought I loved Longshot, okay? But he never speaks – to me or anyone else for that matter. Katara _told_ me that the only way to truly know if he loves me is if he tells me so. And he won't. So I can't tell how he feels about me." She clenched her tiny fist, but her raspy voice softened a bit. "Sometimes, his eyes say everything he's thinking. But sometimes, that's just not enough."

"Such a shame that you have been blinded by one small flaw," Iroh commented as he raised the tea to his mouth.

"Small?" She pounded the cup against the table, causing some of the tea to spill. "He doesn't tell me how he really feels about me! In what world is that just a small flaw? He could just toying with my emotions for all I know!"

Smellerbee was standing now looking down at the man who sat quietly drinking tea. How could he remain calm at a time when she herself felt like exploding? "Smellerbee," Iroh said softly. "Please, sit down so we can continue our conversation."

She lowered herself into the chair quietly and slightly embarrassed by her outbreak. When she was sitting, Iroh continued.

"Love is a strange thing," he said slowly. "We believe in it because it makes us feel whole. It is brought to us by people who show tenderness, and is lost when we feel neglect. You believe that this boy is neglecting you, correct? I believe that he is not. You feel attachment toward Longshot. And from what I've seen, he depends on you tenfold."

"But sir…" She was much quieter now. "How can I love someone when he has a flaw I can't stand?"

"My dear girl," Iroh said softly. "If we fall in love with someone, we must fall for all that they are; not just the good, but the bad as well. All people have both good and bad, and it is not fair to only like a half of what they are. Any love, if that's what you feel, is strong enough to endure the tenderness of the other. Only those who are truly in love can be strong enough to love the good and bad in a person equally."

Smellerbee stood and smiled. "I have to go," she said abruptly. "Thank you for the tea."

Iroh bowed to the young girl. "I hope that when you follow your heart, it brings you nothing but bliss."

She bowed in return before leaving the tea shop and running home.

/~*~\


	8. Chapter VIII

Apologies to any or all readers not adding a chapter on the most romantic day of the year! I am ashamed I let such a date fly by without submitting something… This chapter is dedicated to CuddlyDreams-99, who has become the voice that encouraged me to update.

/~*~\

Song was raised a healer and medicine brewer, but never in her youth did she picture herself in the place where she was now: A teacher for young and intelligent students, a property owner in the world's largest city, and a wife to a strong, attractive man.

As if on cue, that strong beau tapped lightly on the classroom door. "Song," a voice sang playfully as a tall figure rushed into the room. Haru, being the well built Earthbender that he was four years ago, had hardly changed since the end of the war, save for the extra half foot in height and the thick facial hair. And his wife, of course. He flashed a dazzling smile and extended a bouquet of flowers to the woman. "These are for you."

Song smiled up at the man. "Thank you, Haru," she said gratefully as she took the flowers from him and pecked him lightly on the cheek.

Haru smiled proudly. "That's not all you'll be getting from me today! Once we get home, you can dress up in your favorite gown. Tonight, I'm taking you to that restaurant you love, and then to Ba Sing Se Festival at the University, and then-"

Song's quiet huffing cut him off. "Haru," she pleaded as she turned to her desk to pick up stray papers. "I thought we agreed that we wouldn't do anything today."

Haru slumped over. "But love," he whined, "It's such a beautiful day for couples." He smiled as he walked up behind her and wrapped both arms behind her waist; she was surprised enough to drop the papers she had just picked up. "Couples like a love struck man and his beautiful wife."

Song tuned around in his sturdy arms and smiled. "Or, couples like a quiet woman and her wonderful husband."

He smiled down at her, but he could still see the small glimmer of sorrow that lined her eyes. Ever since the two had met, she always looked at everything with such eyes. Haru was not one to pry into other's business, but it didn't take long for him to realize that something made made her perpetually sad. And yes, he was the first to admit that this whole time he would shower her with fleeting pleasures, but it was all a part of his plan. To make the woman he loved the happiest person alive.

"I'm still taking you out to dinner," Haru flashed a debonair smile.

Song sighed. "Fine," she agreed. "But nothing too extravagant."

Haru bent down and kissed her lightly, to which she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. The kiss was perfect, as every one before had been and every one they would share should continue to be. After a short time, he was the one who broke the kiss and looked down into her eyes again. He couldn't help but smirk.

"But," he said as he picked her up and held her in his arms, "I'm carrying you to the house!"

Song protested the entire way home; the two gained many confused stares from bystanders on the way.

/~*~\

"You ready to go?" Aang asked Toph in his annoyingly chipper voice.

The Earthbender nodded once from right next to the boy. "Thanks again for taking me. I'd be completely blind with these feet." She lifted up her left foot, which wore a large, woolly boot. "Hell, I can't see a thing right now. I hate wearing shoes."

Aang laughed quietly. "You'll be happy you did, trust me. It's very cold up north and I'm sure you'd rather be blind for a few hours than for the rest of your life."

Toph grimaced playfully as the two approached dock. The funny thing about being blind was that when she was cut off from seeing with Earthbending, the rest of her senses were heightened. On either side of her she could hear boats slowly floating through the choppy waves, and from above were the shrill cries of pelican-gulls. The sun was warm on her face; she could even feel it beginning to burn the tip of her nose. At the end of the wharf, she heard the deep breathing of a large creature, followed by the friendly growls of an old Sky Bison.

Toph quickly figured out why the beast was there; to fly both benders to the Northern Water Tribe. She threw Aang a dirty look. "I thought you said we had tickets for a barge."

Aang laughed awkwardly. "Well… If I had told you Appa was taking us, you'd probably back out. Besides, flying is so much faster."

She mumbled to herself. First about cursed Airbenders, then about her deep hatred of flying, then her stupid boyfriend who had to be out of town today of all days.

"You ready to take off, or would you rather stay here?" Aang asked eagerly, pulling Toph out of her silent ranting.

"Fine," she said pointedly. She felt the quick whoosh of air from where the Avatar had stood moments before, most likely because he had leapt happily out of joy. "But you better give me a hand up."

Aang landed again and grabbed both of the girl's arms. He bent down, ready to spring into the air again, when Toph stopped him. "Wait!" she said quickly.

The boy was so startled that he nearly fell over. "What is it?"

"Do you hear that?"

She said it as she turned her head toward the other side of the harbor. From there, she heard a faint voice calling her name. "Toph!"

Her unseeing eyes widened when she heard the voice that she could recognize a million miles away. "Zuko!" she yelled back. Aang had let go of her and sprang to the top of Appa's head, most likely to get a better view of the boy approaching. Toph figured out that he was far away when he had called to her; it had taken the Fire Lord at least thirty seconds to reach the two. "Princess?" The Earthbender raised an eyebrow when he was a few feet away. "What are you doing here?"

He stopped after she spoke inches from where she stood. She could hear his deep panting; she couldn't help but ponder over how long he had been running. "Toph," he said breathlessly. "Thank the Spirits I made it in time."

A smile pulled at the corner of her lips. "Well? Something you wanna say? Aang and I are about to leave."

Zuko suddenly grabbed her arms – gently, but firmly nonetheless. "Toph, he's married."

Her face turned to stone. Toph was silent at first and unsure what Zuko was saying, or how delusional he really was. "No," she said slowly, as though she were trying to explain addition to a child. "He was engaged four years ago. Never married."

"No. Hahn is married to a girl who lives in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se."

She looked at him disbelievingly. He seemed sincere, but that wasn't enough proof for her to know if he was telling the truth or not. Of all the times she could have had her feet bound, of course it was the moment Zuko confronted her trying to prove an unrealistic situation. "I can't tell if you're lying or not," she finally said as she pointed to her large boots.

Zuko cursed quietly under his breath. "Toph, I'm telling the truth."

She didn't know what to say. "I don't believe you."

She could practically feel him clench his teeth. "Okay Toph," he said as he released her arms. "But before you go, answer this." He inhaled deeply. "Do you think Mai and I are right for each other?"

Toph's head tilted to the side. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question." His voice was unyielding.

"Yeesh, Sparky." She paused, "Well yeah, I guess so."

He shook his head violently enough for her to feel the sweat flung from his strong brow. "No, no _I guess so_s allowed. I want a real answer from you."

"Okay," she said cautiously, afraid of giving the wrong answer. "I think you two are. I mean, you both really like each other, and that's what really counts in the long run."

"You're lying," he said quietly. She didn't need to see to know his eyes were begging for the truth.

"Fine," she said gruffly. "I'll tell you what I really think. But don't expect any sugar coating from me."

He waited patiently. She sighed and continued.

"No, I don't think you two are right for each other. I don't know what it is pre se. Maybe the fact that she's so… downright dreary. And you… You're like the sun." Her face turned to his, even if she couldn't see him. "You're the sun that make everything so much brighter."

Zuko was so grateful at that moment that she was blind both by sight and by Earthbending. "Toph, Why didn't you ever tell me this?"

She shrugged. "You were happy, I guess. I may be mean and sardonic, but I'm not one to go crushing dreams. I didn't feel like hurting your fragile little feelings."

Zuko bit back tears. "You know Toph…" he began quietly. "No one did. So now, on Valentines Day, I stand before you alone and heartbroken. Why? Because not long before this hour, Mai left me after confessing that she didn't love me. And now I have an ache in my gut the size of the Earth Kingdom because I was the only person who didn't know that the girl I loved didn't love me back."

Toph finally understood what Zuko was trying to do. She could practically feel her cheeks turning red. "I see what you're doing, Zuko."

His voice perked up, if only a tiny bit. "You do?"

"Yeah," her voice cut through the air like daggers. "You don't get the happily ever after you wanted, and as a result I don't either."

He was too stunned to speak.

"Face it, Zuko! Under your rules, I'm not allowed to be happy unless you are, and that's not fair! You've had the past four years to squander your love life, and I said nothing. I didn't make up stupid lies to keep you out of a relationship so that we could be miserable together."

"No, Toph," Zuko pleaded. "Please, listen to me."

"I'm done listening to you," she shouted. "And if you'll excuse me, I have a flight to take. To see my boyfriend, who really does care about me and really isn't married. Thanks for heads up, _pal_."

She spat the word over her shoulder as she walked toward the Airbender and his pet. "Toph," he called. "With or without Earthbending, you know I'm telling the truth."

She stopped and responded without turning around. "I don't know why I should believe anything you have to say. Sorry. I really am sorry that you will never get the happy ending I'm going to have with Hahn."

Aang sprang back down from the bison's head and landed next to the girl. He was obviously unsure of what to do next, but he received his cue to help the Earthbender board when she shot him a sharp look. He grabbed her again and sprung her into the saddle where she sat broodingly. He jumped again to Appa's head. He looked back down at Zuko, who stared up helplessly, and bit his lip.

"Yip, yip," Aang finally called, and the bison took off.

Zuko watched the great beast climb through the air, unable to do anything. He kept watching the speck as it grew smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared over the horizon. He shook his head and looked at his feet.

"I've failed you," was all he could say.


End file.
